Exam 2 Flashcards
Why do we taste “salt” in ocean water?
overwhelming amount of sodium and chloride
What are the 2 categories that ocean salt ions are fall in?
Cations and Anions
What are the Cations in the ocean water?
Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium
What are the Anions in the ocean water?
Chloride, Sulfate, Carbonate & Bicarbonate
What is a common mineral dissolved in water?
silica
What is the chemical composition of the ocean?
Salts 35 grams = 3.5% dissolved solids = 35 parts per thousand (0/00)
Where do the oceans’ salts come from?
Erosion, river water, volcanic activity, groundwater, hydrothermal vents
Where do calcium, bicarbonate & carbonate come from?
shells and corals
Where does magnesium, potassium, sulfate come from?
Clays
What are the three things that make up a profile of ocean water?
Temperature, Salinity, Density
What is the term used for temperature in the ocean?
Thermocline
What is the term used for density in the ocean?
Pycnocline
What is the term used for salinity in the ocean?
Halocine
What is a combination of cold temperature and saltier conditions that leads to an increased density with depth?
pycnocline
What proves that it tends to get colder as depth increases?
Thermocline
What proves that it tends to get saltier with depth?
Halocine
What are water masses?
bodies of water identifiable by their salinity and temperature
What happens when water masses have different densities?
they stack on top of each other
What is the diagram used to figure out if water masses will mix or stratify (layer)?
The T&S Diagram
What is the term used to describe temperature and salinity and its circulation?
Thermohaline
What are the three important aspects of the ocean?
sound, light, and biological pump
What is a biological pump?
the balancing of ocean water chemistry by plants and animals
How does sound travel through the ocean?
waves
What does sound travel faster in, water or air?
water