Exam 1 Flashcards
Ocean temperature range
-2 to 30 degrees celcius
Average Ocean temp.
3 or 4 degrees celcius
Adiabatic Process
No heat is gained or lost
In Situ temperature
And what is the symbol?
The measured temperature, that still includes pressure. (T)
Potential Temperature
Temperature reading that “corrects” the effects of pressure. (Theta)
Why does In-Situ temperature increase with depth?
Because work is being applied when the pressure increases which cause the temperature to rise.
What is salinity?
Total amount of dissolved material in seawater
Principal of constant proportions
If you know the concentration of one ion, you know the concentration of all the ions, and therefore know the total salinity
Density equation and units
p=mass/volume
kg/m^3 or g/cm^3
Average density of the ocean
1027 kg/m^3
Does density increase or decrease with depth?
Increase
As salinity increases does density increase or decrease? Why?
Increase
Because Density and salinity have a symbiotic relationship so as density goes up, the amount of salt in the water goes up and therefore causes salinity to increase.
As temperature increases does density increase or decrease? Why?
Decrease
Because temperature and density have an inverse relationship. When the temperature goes up then the space between water molecule gets larger causing the density to decrease.
What has the LARGEST effect on density?
Decreasing volume
Sigma-T
Removes pressures huge effect.
As water moves towards the poles does surface density increase or decrease? Why?
Increases, because the water gets colder the closer you get to the poles which means the water molecules will be closer together which in turn increases density.
