Chapter 15 - Section 1 - The Vast Ocean World
Thermocline
a layer of water in which there is a rapid change in temperature with depth
Factors that increase salinity
evaporation, formation of sea ice
Surface mixed zone
(0-200 m deep) Warmest, least dense, low salinity; 2% of the world's seawater.
Salinity
A measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid
deep zone
Level of the ocean in which no light penetrates; very cold temperatures
Density
Mass per unit volume
Factors that decrease salinity
Precipitation, Runoff from land, Ice melting
Two factors that impact ocean water density...
temperature and salinity
As salinity of seawater decreases, its density
decreases
As temperature of water increases, density
decreases
With depth, ocean temperature
decreases
As temperature of water decreases, density
increases
As the salinity of seawater increases, its density
increases
transition zone
sits between warm surface layer and deep zone; includes thermocline
The most comment salt in the ocean is
sodium chloride
3 layers of the open ocean
surface mixed zone, transition zone, deep zone