profundidad

Profundidad, Spanish for depth, denotes the extent of something from its top toward its bottom or from front to back. It is used for literal measurements as well as metaphorical meanings, and appears in science, engineering, and everyday language.

In physical terms, depth is the perpendicular distance from a reference surface to a point or object. In oceans and lakes, depth is measured from the surface downward and is typically expressed in meters or feet; bathymetry is the science of mapping seabed depth. The ocean’s average depth is about 3,800 meters, and the deepest point, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, reaches about 10,972 meters (roughly 36,000 feet).

In geology and geography, depth can indicate how far a feature lies below ground level, such as the depth of a well, cave, or sediment layer, or the depth to bedrock. In surveying, depth measurements help determine elevations and sub-surface properties.

In optics and photography, depth-related terms include depth of field, the range of distances that appear acceptably sharp; depth of focus, the tolerance of the image plane; and depth cues used in stereoscopy and perspective to convey three-dimensionality.

In perception and psychology, depth perception refers to the ability to judge distances and three-dimensional structure, supported by binocular vision, motion parallax, shading, and perspective cues.

In literature and philosophy, profundidad (profundidad) denotes intellectual or emotional profundity or complexity, the quality of being deep in thought or meaning.

Etymology: from Latin profunditas, from profundus meaning deep.