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What is salinity?
Grams of salt in 1 kg of water (g/kg) (ppt)
What increases the density of water?
Increased dissolved salts, decreased temperatures, increased pressure
What decreases the density of water?
Decreased dissolved salts, increased temperature, decreased pressure
Why does saltwater have no fixed freezing point?
The salt molecules make it harder for hydrogen bonds to form between water molecules to set up the lattice structure in ice
What is kind of process is conduction?
A molecular process
What is conduction?
Heat is applied to one location and the molecules at that location transfer the energy to other molecules next to them
The molecules pass energy and the energy spreads relatively locally
What kind of process is convection?
A fluid-based process related to density
What is convection?
The fluid receives heat and moves to a new location taking the heat with it
Hydrothermal vents
What kind of process is radiation?
A direct transmission of heat energy from the heat source to a substance
What is radiation?
Radiant energy comes from the sun to the Earth
The sea surface receives more radiant heat than deeper waters
What is light?
Electromagnetic radiation from the sun ad is also a wave
Light penetrates deeper in ocean water with fewer particles
What is the relationship with particles and light penetration?
Increased particles = decreased light penetration
Where is the speed of sound greater?
Sound travels 5x faster under water
Colder, saltier water = faster (more dense)
What is axial modulus?
Describes how water compresses
How many molecules fit in a space and how hard it is to force them together
What is the relationship between density and the speed of sound?
Increased density = increased speed of sound
What is isohaline?
A line of constant salinity/similar salinity
What is evaporation?
Liquid to Gas state change
Increases surface salinity
What is precipitation?
Gas to Liquid state change
Decreases surface salinity
What is ice formation?
Liquid to Solid state change
Sea surface salinity increases
What is ice melting?
Solid to Liquid state change
Decreased surface salinity
What are the Major Constituents of Seawater?
Chloride
Sodium
Sulfate
Magnesium
Calcium
Potassium
They compose 99% of the salt or solid ions in seawater
What is the order of the Major Constituents of Seawater from most to least abundant?
Cl > Na > SO4 > Mg > Ca > K
Clean your Nails So MacGyver Can Kill you
What are conservative constituents?
Major dissolved ions
Not generally removed by biological processes
Low rate of chemical reactions
Remain in constant proportion to eachother
What are non-conservative constituents?
Present at lower concentrations than conservative ions
Concentrations may be modified/are removed by biological and chemical processes
What is the Principle of Constant Proportions?
Ratios between major constituents in open ocean are constant
What is the Salt Cycle?
Method to track input and output of salt to the ocean from atmosphere and land
Diagramming/Quantifying the transfer of salt between these areas (ocean, atmosphere, land) and within the ocean
What processes decrease ocean salinity?
Salt spray
Precipitation
Adsorption
Ions adhere to a substrate or surface and become less reactive (clay)
Evaporites
Geologic feature where salt water has been isolated on land and marine salts are still on land
Growth
Harvest
What processes increase ocean salinity?
Excretion
Death
Hydrothermal vents and seeps
What are non-conservative/biolimiting elements?
Concentrations change with biological and chemical reactions
The biolimiting nutrients (N and P)
Have short residence times (used often and quickly)
Where are N and P at their lowest concentrations?
At/near surface
Photic zone: being consumed as fast and they are being produced
Where are N and P at their highest concentration?
Deeper water
Released by decomposition, not being used by photosynthesizers
What are the major gasses in seawater?
N2
O2
CO2
Of the major gasses in seawater, which are non-conservative?
O2 and CO2
Changed by biological and chemical reactions
Vary spatially and temporally
What is gas solubility?
The ability of a gas to dissolve in water
Changes with temperature, salinity, and pressure
What is saturation concentration?
The maximum amount of that gas that the water can hold
Relationship between density and gas solubility?
Increased density = increased gas solubility
What are the sources/sinks of gases in seawater by Photosynthesis?
Sources : O2
Sinks : CO2
What are the sources/sinks of gasses in seawater by Respiration?
Sources : CO2
Sinks : O2
What are the sources/sinks of gasses in seawater by Decomposition?
Sources : CO2
Sinks : O2
What are the sources/sinks of gasses in seawater by Waves?
Sources : CO2, O2
Sinks : None
What is the compensation depth of gasses?
The depth at which the production and consumption of O2 and CO2 is balanced or at equilibrium
What are the active reservoirs of CO2 from largest to smallest?
Oceans
Geological (crust)
Land
Atmosphere
What is the pH of seawater a measure of?
H+ concentration
What is an acidic water’s pH?
pH value of <7
What is an alkaline/basic water’s pH?
pH value of >7
What does it mean when something is acidic?
Excess H+ ions
What does it mean when something is basic?
Excess OH- ions
What is carbonate buffering in seawater?
The precipitation of calcium carbonate buffers the ocean’s pH
Is Earth’s Heat Budget balanced or unbalanced?
Balanced
What is incoming radiation?
Absorbed or reflected
What is outgoing radiation?
Re-radiated back into space
Where is the maximum intensity of incoming radiation at?
The equator (tropics)
What happens to incoming light absorption as latitude increases?
Incoming light is more reflected as the angle increases rather than absorbed
