Properties of Ocean Water Whats in ocean water

Properties of Ocean Water

What’s in ocean water? • Minerals left behind by gases, rivers & streams –leaves elements & gases

What’s in ocean water? Elements found in ocean water include:

What’s in ocean water? • Dissolved gases are: Nitrogen (N 2) Oxygen (O 2) Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) • Same gases found in atmosphere

What’s in ocean water? • Temperature plays vital role to amount of dissolved gases in water Cold regions have a larger amount of gases than warm regions

What’s Salinity? • Amount of dissolved salts present in a sample of ocean water • Described in parts per thousand

What’s Salinity? • Salinity in various regions all differ • Range from 33 0/00 to 40 0/00 • Average Salinity = 34. 7 0/00 or rounded to 35 0/00

Ocean Temperature • Surface Temperature due to ocean mixing water can be heated to a depth of approx. 300 m

Ocean Temperature • Ocean is Earth’s greatest storehouse of heat

Thermocline • Due to lack of sunlight at certain depths temperature can drop dramatically

Thermocline The zone of water where temperature drops is thermocline

Thermocline

Color of Ocean • Determined by the way light is reflected or absorbed. • All colors of the rainbow are absorbed with blue being last color absorbed • Because it is the last absorbed our eyes see blue

If 1 kg of ocean water evaporates and 35 g of salt remain the salinity is written as 35 0/00 Equator = 30 o. C (86 o. F) Poles = o -2 C o (28. 4 F)