Sea Water Chemistry (Marine Dynamics)

Atom

The basic unit of all matter

Molecule

two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds

polarity

molecules having uneven distribution of charges

cohesion

attraction between molecules of the same substance

adhesion

an attraction between molecules of different substances

surface tension

the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between molecules of water at the surface

solution

a mixture that forms when one substance dissolves another

solute

a substance that is dissolved in a solution

solvent

in a solution, the substance in which the solute dissolves

density

a measure of the mass per unit volume

heat capacity

the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a specified amount of a substance by 1 degree celsius of 1 K

heat

thermal energy in transfer from one substance to another

temperature

a measure of the average energy of motion of the particles of a substance

salinity

a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid

osmosis

diffusion of water through a selectively permeable membrane

osmoregulation

regulation of solute concentrations and water balance by a cell or organism

hypertonic

referring to a solution that, when surrounding a cell, will cause the cell to lose water and shrivel

hypotonic

referring to a solution that, when surrounding a cell, will cause the cell to take up water and expand

isotonic

describes a solution whose solute concentration is equal to the solute concentration inside a cell

thermocline

in water, a distinctive temperature transition zone that separates an upper layer and a colder, deep layer

halocline

a layer of water below the mixed surface layer where a rapid change in salinity can be measured as depth increases

pycnocline

a layer of water in which there is a rapid change of density with depth

mixed layer

the surface layer of the ocean that is mixed by wind, wave, and current action

100-200 meters

the mixed layer of the ocean extends to approximately this depth

80%

how much of the ocean habitat is below the pycnocline?

wind, waves, and currents

what is causing mixing of tsea water in the surface layer?

oxygen

this gas is produced by the phytoplankton in the surface layer as they photosynthesize

1000 meters

this is the maximum depth of the thermocline

500 meters

this depth is generally considered the “oxygen minimum zone” in the ocean

stratification

the layering of water in oceans due to differences in water temperature and density with depth

it impacts flow of water via currents

density of seawater is important because

water with less salinity will float on top of water with high salinity

due to density differences