The properties of water; Waves currents and tides

Which atoms are polar in a water molecule?

Oxygen is weakly negative

Hydrogen are weakly positive

Which bonds are formed between water molecules?

Hydrogen

Why does ice float?

hydrogen bonds fix water molecules in a fixed 3D lattice (crystal), therefore it is less dense.

Lots of hydrogen bonds means

High heat capacity

High heat capacity means

Marine animals are not generally subject to rapid temperature changes

How is salinity measured nowadays?

ions increase the conductivity (psu or ppt)

what is the general salinity of ocean water?

around 35ppt

What happens when water gets more salty and colder?

It gets denser and sinks

What are the three most important dissolved gases in the sea?

Oxygen

Carbon Dioxide

Nitrogen

What is turbidity?

Water transparency

What happens to hydrostatic pressure with depth?

It increases linearly

What direction are winds and currents directed to in each hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect?

Right in northern

Left in southern hemisphere

What is Ekman transport?

The movement/transport of a relatively thin (c.a., 50 meters) slab of surface water in response to wind forcing

Net movement is 90 degrees to the wind direction

What are the huge circular current systems called?

Gyres

What is a thermocline?

A transition zone between warm surface water and cold water below