Chapter 5: Water and Seawater

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to the properties of water and seawater as outlined in Chapter 5.

Covalent bond

Bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms, as seen in H2O.

Dipolar

Describes the polar nature of a water molecule, where the oxygen end has a slight negative charge and the hydrogen end has a slight positive charge.

Hydrogen bonding

Attraction between the positive hydrogen end of one water molecule and the negative oxygen end of another; weaker than covalent bonds.

Calorie

Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C.

High latent heat of vaporization

The high amount of energy needed for water to change from liquid to gas.

Salinity

Total amount of solid material dissolved in water, typically 3.5% in seawater.

Brackish conditions

Water that is more saline than freshwater but less saline than seawater.

Halocline

A rapid change of salinity with depth in the ocean.

Pycnocline

An abrupt change in density with depth in the ocean.

Thermocline

An abrupt change in temperature with depth in the ocean.

Isothermal

A condition where the temperature remains constant throughout a water column, typically seen in polar regions.

High heat capacity

The ability of water to absorb and retain heat without a significant change in temperature.