After Body - Hull form aft of the midship section.
Category: - Maritime

Aftermost - Nearest the stern.
Category: - Maritime

After Peak - The compartment in the narrow part of the stern, aft of the last watertight bulkhead.
Category: - Maritime

After Peak Bulkhead - Watertight bulkhead farthest aft.
Category: - Maritime

After Perpendicular - A vertical straight line at, or near the after edge of rudderpost.
Category: - Maritime

Aggregate - To gather into a sum, or whole, such as merging data sets, or adding up consequences
Category: - Risk

AGL - Above Ground Level describes an aircraft's height above the ground. It should not be confused with ASL which is the height above sea level.
Category: - Acronym - SAR

Air Controller - The Canadian Forces Officers who work at the Rescue Coordination Centres are referred to as Air Controllers. They are responsible for tasking resources on any air incidents which occur during their shift. They work in conjunction with the duty Marine Controller.
Category: - SAR

Aircrew - The Aircrew are the personnel who actually fly and work in the aircraft on a full-time basis. This would include Pilots, Navigators, Flight Engineers, Search and Rescue Technicians (SAR Techs) and Loadmasters on the Hercules. Spotters and medical personnel other than the SAR Techs are not considered to be Aircrew."
Category: - SAR

Air Mass - A large, horizontal body of air with a uniform distribution of moisture and temperature throughout.
Category: - Maritime

Aloft - Overhead, above
Category: - Maritime

Alternatives - Two or more feasible options when making a decision
Category: - Risk

Amidships - Generally speaking the word amidships means in the middle portion of a vessel.
Category: - Maritime

Amver - A voluntary global ship reporting system operated by the US Coast Guard to assist with search and rescue
Category: - SAR

Anchor - An object designed to grip the ground, under a body of water, to hold the boat in a selected area. The anchor grips the ocean bottom and is fastened to the ship by a chain.
Category: - Maritime

Anode - Zinc or aluminum or some such alloy that is fixed to the hull of a vessel. They are 'eaten' up by electrical currents moving from the vessel to the water. The anode is sacrificed to protect the metal hull of the vessel - without the anode, the hull plating would be dissolved by electrolysis.
Category: - Maritime

AOC - Air Operations Centre
Category: - Acronym

Aperture - A recess in which the propeller is located.
Category: - Maritime

Arctic Sea-Smoke - Fog warmed when very cold air drifts across relatively warm water. Also known as steam fog, sea mist and water smoke.
Category: - Weather

Area - A two dimensional (area) feature represented by a line that closes on itself to form a boundary.
Category: - GIS

Articles - The document containing all particulars relating to the terms of agreement between the Master of the vessel and the crew. Sometimes called ship's articles, shipping articles. A paper that all the members of the crew of a ship signs to say what their position aboard will be. In modern terminology, perhaps, a contract of employment or intent.
Category: - Maritime

ASL - Above sea level: describes an aircraft's height above the sea. It should not be confused with AGL which is the height above ground level.
Category: - Acronym

Assistant Controllers - Personnel, normally SAR Techs and Air Traffic Control Assistants (ATCAs) who assist the Air Controllers at the three rescue centres.
Category: - SAR

Astern - A backward direction in the line of a vessel's fore and aft line; behind. If a vessel moves backwards it is said to move astern; opposite to ahead.
Category: - Maritime

Athwartship - Across the ship at right angles to the centerline.
Category: - Maritime

Atmosphere - The mass of air held close to the earth by gravity. The atmosphere is subdivded into four sections: the troposhere - from the earth's surface to an altitude of about 10 km; the stratosphere - from 10 km to 50 km; the mesosphere - from 50 km to 80 km; and the thermosphere - beyond 80 km.
Category: - Weather

Atmospheric Pressure - The force exerted by the weight of the atmosphere, also known as barometric pressure. The internationally recognized unit for measuring this pressure is the kilopascal.
Category: - Weather

Attribute - A numerical entry that reflects a measurement or value for a feature. Attributes can be labels, categories, or numbers; they can be dates, standardized values, or field or other measurements. An item for which data are collected and organized. A column in a table or data file.
Category: - GIS

Aurora - 4 engine, maritime patrol aircraft
Category: - SAR

Aurora Borealis - The luminous, radiant emission from the upper atmosphere over middle and high latitudes, and centred around the earth's magnetic poles. These silent fireworks are often seen on clear winter nights in a variety of shapes and colours. Also referred to as the Northern Lights.
Category: - Weather

Automatic Pilot - An instrument designed to control automatically a vessel's steering gear so that she follows a pre-determined track through the water.
Category: - Maritime

Auxiliary Power - Machinery supplementary to main propulsive units that supply power to the ships systems.
Category: - Maritime