1. Properties of Ocean Water
Chapter 20-1
Properties of Ocean Water

2. Pure Water Colorless Odorless Tasteless
Ocean water contains solids and gases dissolved within

3. Dissolved Gases Most abundant gases in ocean: Nitrogen N2 Oxygen O2
Carbon dioxide CO2

4. How do they get there? From streams and rivers Volcanic eruptions
Organisms that live there
Directly from atmosphere

5. Temperature Dissolve more readily in cold water
Pop goes ‘flat’ quicker on warm days
Cold areas dissolve gases more than tropical areas

6. Temperature Cold areas hold onto CO2
Warm areas release more CO2 into the atmosphere

7. Carbon Sink Oceans have 60% more carbon than atmosphere
Important to regulate climate.
Why?

8. Dissolved Solids 3.5% of oceans mass Sea salts
Halite makes up 85% of solids

9. Where do they come from? Volcanic eruptions
Chemical weathering on land
Chemical weathering between water and rocks

10. Salinity
Salinity – Measure of amount of dissolved salts and other solids

12. Salinity
Factors that change:
Evaporation
Precipitation

13. Surface Water Distributes heat from 100 – 300 m Tropical: 30 C
Polar: -1.9 C
Ocean water can freeze at this temperature

14. Pack Ice
Pack ice – floating sea ice
5 m thick

17. Thermocline
Thermocline – layer in ocean where water temperatures drop faster than in other areas

18. Deep Water
2 C
Colder = denser
Controls deep water currents

19. Density Salinity and temperature Denser than pure water
Denser - colder

20. Color Determined by the way it absorbs or reflects sunlight
Blue light reflected
Phytoplankton can affect color