ocean water has a lot more characteristics than

7/26/2019 Ocean Water Has a Lot More Characteristics Than

1/22

Ocean water has a lot more characteristics than "three" - whatever gave you that idea?

Here's 10 characterisitcs:

1. usually liquid

2. temperature ranges from 0 to 30C3. sustains plant and animal life

4. the most common animal in the ocean water is plankton

5. affected by currents and waves

6. Density averages about 1.025 g/ml

7. Density increases slightly with depth

8. pH 7.5 to 8.5

9. Salinity 35 g/l

10. contains trace amounts of gold, uranium, silver, platinum, iron, lead, copper, and zinc.

Salinity: Six minerals and compounds make up 99 percent of the solids in sea water: magnesium,

chlorine, sodium, sulfur, calcium and potassium. Chlorine is by far the most abundant element comprising

55 percent of the salts in the ocean while potassium is the least prevalent at just under 1 percent. The

overall salinity of the ocean averages about 35 parts per thousand.

- - -

Freezing Point: Seawater freezes at slightly lower temperatures than fresh water--the higher the salinity,

the lower the freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius while seawater with a salinity of 35

parts per thousand freezes at about -2 degrees Celsius.

- - -

Density: The salinity of the ocean also affects its density or "specific gravity." For seawater at averagetemperature and salinity the specific gravity is 25.5, making it slightly denser than fresh water because of

the dissolved solids. Lower temperatures increase density, so the bottom water of the Antarctic, though

not as salty as the Atlantic, has some of the densest water in the world. Higher density also results in

lower buoyancy, so in areas where seawater and freshwater mix, such as a river delta, the seawater sinks

to the bottom.

--------------------------------------...

Ocean water has a lot more characteristics than "three" - whatever gave you that idea?

Here's 10 characterisitcs:

1. usually liquid

2. temperature ranges from 0 to 30C

3. sustains plant and animal life

4. the most common animal in the ocean water is plankton

5. affected by currents and waves

6. Density averages about 1.025 g/ml

7. Density increases slightly with depth


2/22

8. pH 7.5 to 8.5

9. Salinity 35 g/l

10. contains trace amounts of gold, uranium, silver, platinum, iron, lead, copper, and zinc.

Salinity: Six minerals and compounds make up 99 percent of the solids in sea water: magnesium,

chlorine, sodium, sulfur, calcium and potassium. Chlorine is by far the most abundant element comprising

55 percent of the salts in the ocean while potassium is the least prevalent at just under 1 percent. Theoverall salinity of the ocean averages about 35 parts per thousand.

- - -

Freezing Point: Seawater freezes at slightly lower temperatures than fresh water--the higher the salinity,

the lower the freezing point. Fresh water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius while seawater with a salinity of 35

parts per thousand freezes at about -2 degrees Celsius.

- - -

Density: The salinity of the ocean also affects its density or "specific gravity." For seawater at average

temperature and salinity the specific gravity is 25.5, making it slightly denser than fresh water because of

the dissolved solids. Lower temperatures increase density, so the bottom water of the Antarctic, though

not as salty as the Atlantic, has some of the densest water in the world. Higher density also results in

lower buoyancy, so in areas where seawater and freshwater mix, such as a river delta, the seawater sinks

to the bottom.

--------------------------------------...

1. ECOLOCY

The ocean

Coral reefs(next page)

The blue planet-Characteristics of water- Oceancurrents-Zoogeographic regions- Vertical zones

Top - End- Next

The blue planet

ow inappropriate to call this planet Earth! when it is

"uite clearl# Ocean$Arthur C. Clarke

%e call earth &the blue planet&$ ' percent of Earthssurface is co*ered b# oceans and freshwater features$%ater is the third +ost co++on +olecule in the,ni*erse (after and CO)! the +ost abundantsubstance on earth and the onl# naturall# occurringinorganic li"uid$ Onl# on earth and no other planet in
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the solar s#ste+ water can exist in a li"uid state$

E*er# life for+ we .now has e*ol*ed fro+ water$/n*ertebrates! 0sh! a+phibians! reptiles! birds and+a++als - all started their e*olution in the ocean$

The 0rst 0shes in fossil record date bac. about 122+illion #ears$ The 0rst coral reefs onl# appeared +orethan 322 +illion #ears ago$ These earl# corals are nowextinct! the +odern for+s e*ol*ed not until the past1 +illion #ears$

/t is not surprising! that the bodies of +ost plants andani+als are 42 or +ore percent water5

Top- End- Next- 6re*ious

Characteristics of water

Unusual properties

7ll life for+s we .now re"uire water (O) for theirbiological processes$ 7nd although water see+sche+icall# si+ple - 8ust h#drogen ato+s bound toan ox#gen - it is in fact an enor+ousl#unusualsubstance$ /t has often been stated that life dependson 8ust these ano+alous properties of water$

Thermal parameter %ater has di9erent ther+al para+eter than othersubstances$ :ost co+pounds contract as the# cooland expand when the# heat$ %ater does this! too!until 8ust before it starts to freeze$ Then it doesso+ething re+ar.able - it begins to expand! e*enwhen it grows colder$ ;# the ti+e it does freeze itbeco+es ice which is actuall# less dense than li"uidwater$ /ce


4/22

Viscosity %ater is not *er# *iscous! if it had higher *iscosit#!circulator# s#ste+s could not ha*e e*ol*ed$

Compressibility The co+pressibilit# of water reduces the sea le*el b#about 32 + gi*ing us 1= +ore land$

Solvent

>alinit# in parts per thousand

%ater can dissol*e +ore substances than an# othersol*ent$ %ater is an excellent sol*ent for substancessuch as salt$ 7ctuall# ?@ +illion tons of salt are sol*edin one cubic .ilo+eter! thats about 1 gra+s of saltin one .ilogra+ of water$

%ater can retain and store large a+ounts of heat -this large heat capacit# of the oceans and seas allowsthe+ to act as heat reser*oirs such that seate+peratures *ar# onl# a third as +uch as landte+peratures$ This +ini+izes extre+es inte+perature and stabilizes our cli+ate$ That is wh#coasts experience a +ilder cli+ate than areas that lie

+ore inland$ The heat stored in water is alsotransported to other places around the globe throughcurrents and will war+ up colder water$

The salinit# of water deter+ines where +arineani+als can li*e$ >o+e tolerate onl# +oderatea+ounts of salt! others +ore$ /f the salinit#


5/22

below the 7tlantic! 6aci0c and /ndian Ocean eachha*e two such circles! one in the north and one in thesouth circulating anti-cloc.wise$

Map of the ocean currents

RedA war+ currents B BlackA cold currents B OraneA water of 2C or +ore

Cold and warm currents %ar+ and cold water is being transported b# theocean currents around the globe$ This +o*e+ent iscalled the &Dreat Ocean Con*e#er ;elt&$ Cold wateroriginating fro+ the poles tra*els +ostl# along thewestern side of the continents toward the e"uator$eated up war+ water outh and North E"uatorial Currents! E"uatorialCountercurrent! Dolf current (7tlantic)! Canar# Current(Europe) uroshio (Fapan! China)! California Current(,$>$7$)! >outh /ndian Current (/ndian Ocean)!

;enguela Current (7frica)! 7ntarctic Circu+polarCurrent$


"ooeoraphic reions
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6/22

There are se*eral distinct zoogeographic regions!

each with speci0c species li*ing there! but there arealso ani+als li*ing in all war+ waters (Acircu+tropical)! such as +an# oceanic shar.s and+ac.erel$

Map of the tropical #ooeoraphic reef reions

$$$A 2 isother+ B %inkA Ged >ea B &ark redA /ndian Ocean B RedA %estern6aci0c B'ellowA Dreat ;arrier Geef B OraneA Central 6aci0c B (reenA Eastern

6aci0cB)iht reenA Caribbean B'ellow$reenA ;er+udas B VioletA ;razil B &arkreenA Eastern 7tlantic


7/22

The distribution in the @2 countries and geographical regions where coral reefs are found$The largest concentration of reefs is around /ndonesia and 7ustralia$ Hro+ the %orld 7tlas

of Coral Geefs (,NE6)


Vertical #ones

%elaic* inhabiting the openwater! especiall# the upper la#ers

Benthic* li*ing on or in the sea


8/22

7n exa+ple is the nautilus (Nautilus po+pilius)! acephalopod with a cha+bered shell$ The# li*e in deepwater but +a.e a dail# *ertical +igration of se*eralhundred +eter$ Their shell not onl# protects thenautilus but also ser*es to regulate its


9/22

concentration of these chemicals increased until an e#uilibrium was met. This

e#uilibrium occurred when the ocean's water could not dissolve any more material in

solution. Similarities between fossili$ed sea life and organisms living today indicate

that the composition of seawater stopped changing drastically about %&& million years

ago.

!nly six elementsand compoundscomprise about ( of sea salts) chlorine *+l,-"

sodium *a/-" sulfur *S!0,1 -" magnesium *Mg/1 -" calcium *+a/1 -" and potassium *2/-

*Figure 8p-1-. The relative abundance of the ma3or salts in seawater are constant

regardless of the ocean. !nly the amount of water in the mixture varies because of

differences between ocean basins because of regional differences in freshwater loss

*evaporation- and gain *runoff and precipitation-.

The chlorine ion maes up 44( of the salt in seawater. +alculations of seawatersalinity are made of the parts per 5&&& of the chlorine ion present in one ilogram of

seawater. Typically" seawater has a salinity of 64 parts per thousand.

Figure 8p-1:7elative proportions of dissolved salts in seawater.

8ater is one of the few substances existing on the Earth's surface in all three forms of

matter. At $ero degrees +elsius li#uid water turns into ice and has a density of

approximately 59 ilograms per cubic meter. :i#uid water at the same temperature

has a density of nearly 5"&&& ilograms per cubic meter. The density of seawater

generally increases with decreasing temperature" increasing salinity" and increasing

depth in the ocean. The density of seawater at the surface of the ocean varies from
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10/22

5"&1& to 5"&1 ilograms per cubic meter. ;ighest densities are achieved with depth

because of the overlying weight of water. In the deepest parts of the oceans" seawater

densities can be as high as 5"&4& ilograms per cubic meter.

Seawater free$es at a temperature that is slightly colder than fresh water *&.&or example" oxygen and carbon dioxide may be temporally generated or depleted by

such processes to varying concentrations at specific locations within the ocean.

viewed in a window as wide as a page. !pen lins in a new tab.-

In order to understand the sea, some of its chemical properties are important.

This page details the chemical composition of sea water, salinit, densit, its

dissolved gases, carbon dioxide and p! as limiting factor. "hemical elements in

sea water do not exist on their own but are attracted to preferential ions of
http://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/c.html#carbon_dioxidehttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/c.html#carbon_dioxidehttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/o.html#organichttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/i.html#inorganichttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/c.html#carbon_dioxidehttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/c.html#carbon_dioxidehttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/o.html#organichttp://www.physicalgeography.net/physgeoglos/i.html#inorganic


11/22

opposite charge: sulphur will occur mainl as sulphate, sodium as sodium

chloride, and so on.

#etailed composition) abundance of the elements in seawater

$alinit) the main salt ions maing the sea salty

#ensit) the density of sea water depends on temperature and salinity

#issolved gases) the two important gases to life" oxygen and carbondioxide.

:imiting hydrogen ions and ocean p;.

%icarbonate) the life of dissolved carbon dioxide in the sea.

&elated chapters)

global climate) learn about global climate step by step" from a very wide

perspective. Is global warming real or fraudulent? *50&p- Must,read@

acid oceans) are oceans becoming more acidic? ;ow does it wor? Threat or

fraud? *%&p- Must,read@

abundance of the elements of lifein the universe" earth" sea and organisms.

table of units measures) units" measures" conversion constants" worlddimensions" and much more.

periodic table) the periodic table of elements" complete with elementary chemistry

and interesting facts.

soil'ecolog) the main biomes of the land and their carbon sins. ;ow does soil

wor? Sustainability? 8hat to do against erosion? *large-

the Bar Becay Assay) new discoveries of the planton ecosystem. p; as most

important limiting factor.

.

,, Seafriends home,, oceanography,, sitemap,, 7ev

1&&&&950"1&&%&C14"1&&9&454"1&&9&95C"1&5&&%&C"

Detailed composition of seawaterat 3.5% salinity

ElementHydrogen H2OOxygen H2OSodium NaClChlorine NaClMagnesium MgSulfur SPotassium KCalium Ca!romine !r

At.weight".##$$

"5.&22.''35.&532&.3"232.#(&3."#2.#'$.#

ppm""#)###''3)###"#)'##")#")2#

#&32&""($.3

ElementMoly*denum Mo+uthenium +u+hodium +hPalladium Pd

,rgentum -siler/ ,gCadmium Cd0ndium 0nStannum -tin/ Sn

,ntimony S*

At.weight#.#5&"#".#$"#2.#5"#(.&"#$.'$#""2.&""&.'2""'.("2".$5

ppm#.#"#.######$..

#.###2'#.###"".

#.###'"#.###33

Helium He1ithium 1i

&.##2((.3

#.#####$2#."$#

ellurium e0odine 0

"2$.("((.#&

.

#.#(&
http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#compositionhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#salinityhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#Densityhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#gaseshttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#bicarbonatehttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/global/climate.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/global/acid.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/abund.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/units.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/periodi.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/enviro/soil/ecology.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/sitemap.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#compositionhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#salinityhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#Densityhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#gaseshttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seawater.htm#bicarbonatehttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/global/climate.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/global/acid.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/abund.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/units.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/periodi.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/enviro/soil/ecology.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/sitemap.htm


12/22

!eryllium !e!oron !Car*on CNitrogen ionluorine

Neon Ne,luminium ,lSilion SiPhos4horus P

,rgon ,rSandium Sitanium ianadium Chromium CrManganese Mnerrum -0ron/ e

Co*alt CoNi6el Ni

.#"33"#.'"""2.#"""&.##$"'.'

2#."'32(.'22'.#'(3#.$&3.&'&&.5(&$.#5#.&25".(5&.3'55.'&$

5'.335'.$"

#.######(&.&5#2'.#"5.5"3

#.###"2#.##"2.#.#''#.&5#7#.#####.##"#.##"#.###2#.###.##3&

#.###3#.##((

8enon 8eCesium Cs!arium !a1anthanum 1aCerium Ce

Praesodymium PrNeodymium NdSamarium Sm9uro4ium 9u:adolinium :der*ium *;ys4rosium ;yHolmium Ho9r*ium 9rhulium m


13/22

water copiously while excreting excess salts through their gills. >reshwater fish do the

opposite by not drining but excreting copious amounts of urine while losing little of

their body salts.

Marine plants *seaweeds- and many lower organisms have no mechanism to control

osmosis" which maes them very sensitive to the salinity of the water in which theylive.

The main nutrients for plant growth are nitrogen * as in nitrate !6 ," nitrite !1,"

ammonia ;0/-" phosporus *D as phosphate D!06, - and potassium *2- followed by

Sulfur *S-" Magnesium *Mg- and +alcium *+a-. Iron *>e- is an essential component of

en$ymes and is copiously available in soil" but not in sea water *&.&&60ppm-. This

maes iron an essential nutrient for planton growth. Dlanton organisms *lie

diatoms- that mae shells of silicon compounds furthermore need dissolved silicon

salts *Si!1- which at 6ppm can be rather limiting.

The main salt ions that mae up .( are the following)

chemical ion valenceconcentration

ppm" mgg

part of

salinity (

molecular

weight

mmol

g

+hloride +l ,5 5604 44.&6 64.046 40%

Sodium a /5 5&941 6&.4 11.& 0%C

Sulfate S!0 ,1 19&5 9.%C %.&%1 1C.5

Magnesium Mg /1 514 6.%C 10.6&4 46.6

+alcium +a /1 05% 5.5C 0&.&9C 5&.0

Dotassium 2 /5 6& 5.55 6.&C .9

=icarbonate ;+!6 ,5 504 &.05 %5.&5% 1.60

=romide =r ,5 %% &.5 9.&0 &.C6

=orate =!6 ,6 19 &.&C 4C.C&C &.0%

Strontium Sr /1 56 &.&0 C9.%1& &.&5

>luoride > ,5 5 &.&&6 5C.C &.&%C

=y adding the Fmol in last column up" multiplied by respective valences" lie) ,40%

/0%C ,4%.1 /5&%.% / .... one ends up with almost &" suggesting that the above valuesare about right. Buring the +hallenger Expedition of the 5C9&s" it was discovered that

the ratios between elements is nearly constant although salinity *the amount of ;1!-

may vary. ote that the figures above differ slightly in differing publications. Also

landloced seas lie the =lac Sea and the =altic Sea" have differing concentrations.


14/22

This world map shows how the salinity of the oceans changes slightly from around 61ppt *6.1(-

to 0&ppt *0.&(-. :ow salinity is found in cold seas" particularly during the summer season when

ice melts. ;igh salinity is found in the ocean 'deserts' in a band coinciding with the continentaldeserts. Bue to cool dry air descending and warming up" these desert $ones have very little

rainfall" and high evaporation. The 7ed Sea located in the desert region but almost completely

closed" shows the highest salinity of all *0&ppt- but the Mediterranean Sea follows as a closesecond *6Cppt-. :owest salinity is found in the upper reaches of the =altic Sea *&.4(-. The Bead

Sea is 10( saline" containing mainly magnesium chloride Mg+l1. Shallow coastal areas are 1.%,

6.&( saline and estuaries &,6(.

(a)ing sea saltSea salt is made by evaporating sea water" but this is not straight,forward. =etween 5&&( and 4&( firstthe calcium carbonate *+a+!6G limestone- precipitates out" which is chal and not desirable. =etween4&( and 1&(" gypsum precipitates out *+aS!0.1;1!-" which also tastes lie chal. =etween 1&( and

5( sea salt precipitates *a+l- but going further" the bitter potassium and magnesium chlorides and

sulfates precipitate" which is to be avoided" unless for health reasons. In commercial salt production" the

water is led through various evaporation ponds" to achieve the desired result.ote that this process has also happened where large laes dried out" laying down the above salts in the

above se#uence. ote that normal sea water is undersaturated with respect to all its salts" except for

calcium carbonate which may occur in saturated or near,saturated state in surface waters.An artificial salt solution of 6.4( *64ppt- is made by weighing 64g of salt in a beaer and topping it up

with fresh water to 5&&&g.

#ensit

The density of fresh water is 5.&& *gramml or glitre- but added salts can increase this. The

saltier the water" the higher its density. 8hen water warms" it expands and becomes less dense.

The colder the water" the denser it becomes. So it is possible that warm salty water remains ontop of cold" less salty water. The density of 64ppt saline seawater at 54H+ is about 5.&144" or s


15/22

*sigma-G 14.4. Another word fordensityisspecific gravity.

The relationship between temperature" salinity and density is shown by the blue isopycnal*of

same density- curves in this diagram. In red" green and blue the waters of the ma3or oceans of the

planet is shown for depths below ,1&& metre. The Dacific has most of the lightest water withdensities below 1%.&" whereas the Atlantic has most of the densest water between 19.4 and 1C.&.

Antarctic bottom water is indeed densest for Dacific and Indian oceans but not for the Atlantic

which has a lot of similarly dense

water.

#issolved gases in seawater

The gases dissolved in sea water are in constant e#uilibrium with the atmosphere but their

relative concentrations depend on each gas' solubility" which depends also on salinity andtemperature. As salinity increases" the amount of gas dissolved decreases because more water

molecules are immobilised by the salt ion. As water temperature increases" the increased

mobility of gas molecules maes them escape from the water" thereby reducing the amount ofgas dissolved.

Inert gases lie nitrogen and argon do not tae part in the processes of life and are thus

not affected by plant and animal life. =ut non,conservative gases lie oxygen and

carbondioxide are influenced by sea life. Dlants reduce the concentration of

carbondioxide in the presence of sunlight" whereas animals do the opposite in either

light or darness.

gas ( in ( in surface mllitre mgg *ppm- molecular mmol


16/22

molecule atmosphere seawater sea water in sea water weight g

itrogen 1 9C( 09.4( 5& 51.4 1C.&50 &.00%

!xygen !1 15( 6%.&( 4 9 65.C *.+1

+arbondioxide +!1 &.&6( 54.5( 0& & 01.&& +.1+

Argon 5( 5.0( . &.0 6.0C &.&5!ne g of fresh water contains 44.% mol ;1!

also reported as C& mggDlease note that these figures may be incorrect as too many different values have been published

In the above table" the conservative gases nitrogen and argon do not contribute to life

processes" even though nitrogen gas can be converted by some bacteria into fertilising

nitrogen compounds *!6" ;0-. Surprisingly the world under water is very much

different from that above in the availability of the most important gases for life)

oxygen and carbondioxide. 8hereas in air about one in five molecules is oxygen" in

sea water this is only about 0 in every thousand million water molecules. 8hereas air

contains about one carbondioxide molecule in 6&&& air molecules" in sea water this

ratio becomes 0 in every 5&& million water molecules" which maes carbondioxide

much more common *available- in sea water than oxygen. ote that even though their

concentrations in solution differ due to differences in solubility *ability to dissolve-"

their partial pressures remain as in air" according to ;enry's law" except where life

changes this. Dlants increase oxygen content while decreasing carbondioxide and

animals do the reverse. =acteria are even capable of using up all oxygen.

All gases are less soluble as temperature increases" particularly nitrogen" oxygen and

carbondioxide which become about 0&,4&( less soluble with an increase of 14H+.8hen water is warmed" it becomesmoresaturated" eventually resulting in bubbles

leaving the li#uid. >ish lie sunbathing or resting near the warm surface or in warm

water outfalls because oxygen levels there are higher. The elevated temperature also

enhances their metabolism" resulting in faster growth" and perhaps a sense of

wellbeing.

:iewise if the whole ocean were to warm up" the e#uilibrium with the atmosphere

would change towards more carbondioxide *and oxygen- being released to the

atmosphere" thereby exacerbating global warming.

Since the volume of all oceans is 5.64E15 g *see table of units measures- and +!1concentration is E,4 gg *&ppm-" it follows that the total amount of +!1 in all

oceans is 51.1E5% g G 515"&&& Dg *Mt- and the partial carbon amount *5101- G

60"9&& Dg *%&&Dg in surface waters / 9&&&Dg in mid waters / 6&"&&&Dg in deep ocean G 69"%&&Dg J5K-.

+ompare this with the amount of carbon in soil and vegetation *56&5 / %%0 G 5%4

Dg" see soilecology- and the carbon in the atmosphere" about 5 g per s#uare metre

over 45&E% m1 G 45&E51 g G 45& Dg *9&&Dg J5K-. It follows that the ocean is a very
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17/22

large reservoir of carbondioxide" also called Bissolved Inorganic +arbon *BI+-. In

addition to this" it contains Bissolved !rganic +arbon *B!+- of unnown #uantity.

The difference between BI+ and B!+ is an arbitrary particle si$e of &.04Fm which

passes BI+ through filtration paper. This definition does not distinguish our newly

discovered slush*incompletely decomposed biomolecules- as B!+. See our BBA

section.

hat is dissolved, particulate, inorganic and organic carbon/+arbon is a miraculous element located in the middle of theDeriodic Table" next to nitrogen" which is

also a surprising element. Elements to the left are basic with positive valence *attracting free electrons-

and those to the right are acidic with negative valence *owning loose electrons-. +arbon with a valenceof 0 can bind with both sides of the table and with itself. 8hen combined with hydrogen" it forms long

chains of organic molecules lie +;6.+;1.+;1......L where the end group L gives it the character of

an alane *+;6-" alcohol *!;-" acid *+!!;-" aldehyde *+!;-" amino *;1-" and so on. The organic

carbon chains can form loops and bonds with other elements" all being organic compounds. !nly fewinorganic carbon compounds are nown" of which carbondioxide *+!1- is by far the most common.

atural gas or methane *+;0- is either the last inorganic molecule or the first organic molecule. So it is

safe to say that dissolved inorganic carbonis +!1" particularly since it dissolves so readily in water.

All biomolecules that mae up the structure of an organism are organic *except for salts in body

li#uids-" and when these are decomposed" the leftover molecules are also organic" except for inorganicnutrients and +!1" for the whole purpose of decomposition is to turn organic molecules into inorganic

nutrients and +!1 for plants. All biomolecules can be transported by being dissolved in water. 8hen an

organism dies and decomposes" most of its organic molecules end up in solution as dissolved organic

carbon*B!+-" molecules that are very much smaller than the smallest of organisms *viruses-.

Dlanton organisms are classified by si$e from femtoplanton *smaller than &.1Fm-" picoplanton *&.1,

1Fm- to megaplanton *&.1,1m-. ote that the wavelength of visible light is &.0,&.9Fm" which meansthat organisms smaller than 5Fm are not visible under a light microscope *all viruses and most bacteria-.

8hat all this means is that measuring the biomass of planton is almost impossible. >or practicalreasons" scientists decided that anything passing through fine filtration paper *&.04Fm- is dissolvedand

all that is retained is particulate. nfortunately this mars a substantial amount of particulate biomass

as dissolved.

Dhytoplanton consists of organisms from bacteria to diatoms and large dinoflagellates *lie sea

spar"Noctiluca scintillans-. Their biomass can be estimated by measuring their chlorophyl *greenpigment- from light measurements. ;owever" other pigments *brown" red- are also common and the

amount of chlorophyl is only a small part of biomass. So" even #uantifying the amount of phytoplanton

is almost impossible.

The bottom line is that the boundaries between dissolved" particulate" inorganic and organic are rathervague. Also the functional difference between producers *phytoplanton- and decomposers *most

bacteria- is seldom acnowledged.
http://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/periodi.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/periodi.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/books/periodi.htm


18/22

#eep sea temperature, oxgen 0 nutrients

In general the ratios between the various elements in seawater is constant" except where modified

by life. In this diagram one can see how light penetrates no deeper than 54&m for photosynthesis.Indeed at C&&m" the ocean is pitch dar. In the surface mixed layer above the thermocline" water

mixes sufficiently to sustain life. Nas exchange with the atmosphere is near,perfect such that the

oxygen concentration in the water is in e#uilibrium with the atmosphere. =ut it rapidly decreasesbelow 4&,94m as photosynthesis declines while animals use up most oxygen. At around C&&m

oxygen levels reach a minimum *as also carbondioxide levels reach a maximum" not shown-.

Towards the deep and bottom water" oxygen levels increase slightly due to an influx of coldbottom water from the poles. Bue

to lac of oxygen" deep sea fish

cannot be very active.

The coloured curves for phosphate and nitrate show how these nutrients are almost

completely used near the surface and how they gradually become available in the

thermocline layer. ote how the Atlantic !cean ends up with less nutrients than the

Dacific and Indian oceans.The temperature curve shows the general idea of staying relatively high and constant

in the mixed layer" then declining rapidly in the thermocline layer until reaching a

near constant temperature of /6H+ in deep and bottom water. The maximum surface

temperature of course depends on many factors" lie latitude and season.

ote that the concentration of +!1 in the atmosphere has increased from 1C& ppm in

5C4& to 6%& ppm in 5C" and is still rising. It is estimated that about 4&( of

anthropogenic +!1 has been absorbed by the oceans. =ecause the upper atmosphere

is bombarded by cosmic rays" some of the nitrogen atoms become radioactive isotopes

+,50 with a half life of 496& years. !nce incorporated into organisms" its radioactivitydecays slowly" allowing scientists to calculate the age of organic substances. >ossil

fuels which have been underground for over %& million years" have lost nearly all their

radioactive carbon isotopes" and in this manner +!1 from burning fossil fuels can be

distinguished from normal +!1 circulation. The diagrams below shows how fossil

carbondioxide is absorbed by the oceans.


19/22

&adioactive "arbon-1As cosmic rays bombard the outer atmosphere" they are slowed down by the thin gases there. 8ith their

energy of billions of electron,Oolt *eO- they produce fast neutrons that gradually slow down to thatof thermalneutrons. At a height of about ,54m" these neutrons collide with nitrogen,50 *normal

nitrogen-" producing radioactive carbon,50 *carbon with one extra neutron-. The total amount of +,50

produced each year is about .Cg for the whole Earth" or about 5 atom +,50 for 5 trillion *5E,51-

normal +,51 atoms. uclear tests have almost doubled the #uantity in the atmosphere in a pea *year5%0- that is gradually becoming normal again as the pea is absorbed by organisms and the ocean.

7adioactive carbon decays bac to nitrogen by emitting an electron *beta radiation- at the initial rate of

50 disintegrations per minute per gram carbon. The +,56 carbon isotope which is not radioactive"

occurs for about one in every 5&& atoms +. The age of organic remains can thus be measured bycounting beta radiation from disintegrating atoms" but a much more sensitive method is by counting all

+50 atoms by mass spectrometry.=ecause of its slow decay rate of 4&( in 49&& years" the total amount of +,50 in the atmosphere"

biosphere and oceans is much higher than 5&g. According to :ibby *544- who invented carbon

dating" the distribution of carbon and carbon,50 is as follows)

carbon reservoir percentage

+!1 dissolved in oceans C9.4

Bissolved !rganic +arbon *B!+- in oceans 9.5

=iosphere" all living organisms 0.&

Atmospheric +!1 5.0


20/22

ote that at a p; of 9.& *neutral water- only &.5 Fmolg *5&,9 - of water is dissociated

into positive hydrogen ions ;/ and negative hydroxyl ions !;, . In the ocean where a

p; of around C is found" this becomes even less at *.*1 mol')g, which ma)es

hdrogen ions twent times scarcer than oxgen and +** times scarcer than

carbondioxide. It explains how important the p; is to the productivity of a#uatic

ecosystems. Oisit our latest planton discoveries in the Bar Becay Assaysection

where this limiting factor was #uantified in freshwater laes.
http://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htmhttp://www.seafriends.org.nz/dda/index.htm


21/22

This world map of ocean acidity shows that ocean p; varies from about 9.& to C.1& but alongthe coast one may find much larger variations from 9.6 inside deep estuaries to C.% in productive

coastal planton blooms and .4 in tide pools. The map shows that p; is lowest in the most

productive regions where upwellings occur. It is thought that the average acidity of the oceansdecreased from C.14 to C.50 since the advent of fossil fuel *Pacobson M Q" 1&&4-.

"arbondioxide as bicarbonate+arbondioxide binds loosely with water to form bicarbonate)

+!1 / ;1! RG ;1+!6 RG ;/ / ;+!6, RG ;// ;// +!61,

in the ratios +!1 carbonic acid ;1+!6 G 5(" bicarbonate ;+!6,G 6(" carbonate+!61,G%(. These variants of +!1 *species- add up to the total amount of Bissolved Inorganic

+arbon *BI+-" which also includes a smaller amount of Bissolved !rganic +arbon *B!+- that

passes filtration techni#ues.

The RG symbol means 'in e#uilibrium with'.

These forms of carbon are always in close e#uilibrium with the atmosphere and with

one another. 8hen one tals about dissolved carbondioxide" it is the slightly acidic

bicarbonate. 8hen the concentration of +!1 in the atmosphere increases" presumably

also the concentration in the ocean's surface increases" and this wors itself through to

the right in above e#uation.

Dhotosynthesis of organic matter is often simplified as) +!1 / ;1! / sunlight G

+;1! /!1" which happens only in the sunlit depths to 54&m and down to where the

sea mixes.

The average composition of marine plants is) ;)!)+))D)S G 151)5&%)5&%)5%)1)5

which comes close to +;1!.


22/22

7espiration is often simplified as ) +;1! G +!1 / ;1! / energy" which can

happen at all depths" depending on the amount of food sining down from above.

Therefore the concentrations of oxygen and carbondioxide vary with depth. The

surface layers are rich in oxygen which reduces #uicly with depth" to reach a

minimum between 1&&,C&&m depth. The deep ocean is richer in oxygen because ofcool and dense surface water descending from the poles into the deep ocean.

It is thought that the carbondioxide in the sea exists in e#uilibrium with that of

exposed roc containing limestone +a+!6. In other words" that the element calcium

exists in e#uilibrium with +!6. =ut the concentration of +a *055ppm- is 5&.0 mmoll

and that of all +!1 species *&ppm- 1.&4 mmoll" of which +!6 is about %(" thus

&.51 mmoll. Thus the sea has a vast oversupply of calcium.

J5K 7eport of the 7oyal Society *Pune 1&&4-) 2cean acidification due to increasing

atmospheric carbon dioxide.

http)www.royalsoc.ac.udisplaypagedoc.asp?idG5646 *5M=-

ocean water has a lot more characteristics than

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