The Oceans Flashcards
Salinity:
The amount of dissolved solids of salts in seawater.
Divisions of the global oceans
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
What’s the average salts per thousand in the ocean?
35g per thousand
What are the top 2 dissolved solids?
Cl=chlorine
Na=sodium
What are the 3 dissolved gasses?
(O2) Oxygen
(N2) Nitrogen
(CO2) Carbon Dioxide
When temperature goes down what happens to the dissolved gasses?
They go up!
Surface zone
Often 0m to 200m (can vary)
•heated by sunlight
•surface currents mix the heated water.
Thermocline
Begins about 200m to 700m
• temp drops quickly because of no sunlight
Deep zone
Extends from thermocline to the bottom.
• temp 1/3 degrees C
• absolute darkness
Water pressure…
10m = 1 atmosphere of pressure
1 atmosphere pressure = 14.7 PSIA
Surface Currents
Currents powered by global winds.
Usually only in the top few hundred meters
Density Currents:
Form when more dense seawater sink below less dense seawater.
Upwelling:
Current that brings deep cold water to the surface.
Plankton:
Most are single celled organisms.
Mostly drift around the sea.
Nekton:
Animals that actively swim.