Chemistry of Seawater

average salinity of seawater

35 parts per thousand

things increasing salinity

evaporation

things decreasing salinity

rain, runoff/river, melting of glaciers/ice caps

two most common ions in seawater

1. Sodium (Na+)

2. Chloride (Cl-)

sources of sodium and chloride in the ocean

volcanic eruptions and hydrothermal vents

losses of salt from the ocean

sea spray, harvesting of fish, evaporites

What increases with depth in the ocean?

pressure

The amount of dissoved salt in the ocean

salinity

The color of sunlight absorbed last in ocean water.

blue light

What is 4.5 times faster in water?

sound

What do animals use to communicate, navigate, and find prey?

sound

This gas is released by and diffuses into the ocean at the surface.

carbon dioxide

What does increased CO2 do to the pH of the ocean?

lowers it

What compound does carbonic acid make less available to ocean animals with shells?

bicarbonate

the attraction of one water molecule for another is known as

cohesion

Water requires a lot of heat to raise its temperature

heat capacity