PROPERTIES OF

SEAWATER
2018-2019
 WATER

80 to 90 % of the volume of most organisms

Buoyancy and support

Pure water 3 forms:

Liquid
Gas – atmosphere
Solid – snow and ice
 •Molecules
•1 atom of oxygen 2 atoms of hydrogen
•H2O
•Bent
•Polar
•Bond is shared
•Hydrogen bond – one end of a molecule attracts
the oppositely charged end of another molecule .
 VISCOSITY

•The resistance of water molecules to external

forces that would separate them.

•Floating and swimming

•Reduces sinking tendency of some organisms

•Magnifies problems with drag

 SURFACE TENSION

The mutual attraction of water molecules at the

surface of a water mass that creates a flexible
molecular “skin” over the water surface.
 DENSITY –
TEMPERATURE
RELATIONSHIP

Water at 4 degrees Celsius or above –

density increases with decreasing temp.

Below 4 degrees the pattern reverses.

Ice is 8% less dense than water.

 HEAT CAPACITY

Heat – form of energy.

In water, heat is transferred from place to place

by convection and conduction.

Heat energy measured in Calories

 CALORIE

Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1

gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
 HEAT CAPACITY

The measure of heat energy required to change

the temperature of 1 gram of a substance 1
degree Celsius.

Water has the highest heat capacity.

 LATENT HEAT OF
FUSION

The heat that must be extracted from a liquid to freeze it

to a solid at the same temperature.

Water = 80 cal/g.
 LATENT HEAT OF
VAPORIZATION

The heat energy required to convert a liquid to a gas at

the same temperature.

Water = 540 cal/g.

 The high heat capacity and the large amount of heat
required to evaporate enables large bodies of water to
resist extreme temp. fluctuations.

Provides a temp. moderating effect for the marine

environment and adjacent land areas.
 SOLVENT ACTION

Water – being small and having polar charges allows it to

interact with and dissolve most naturally occurring
substances, especially ions.
 DISSOLVED SALTS

Account for the majority of dissolved substances in

seawater.
 SALINITY

Total amount of dissolved salts

Measured in parts per thousand

Average ~ 35 ~

Range from 0 at river mouths to ~ 40 at Red Sea

Primary mechanism of salt and water addition or
removal are:

Evaporation
Precipitation
River run off
Freezing and thawing of sea ice
 Salts dissolve and produce ions:

Major and minor ions

Major accounts for 98% of total salt conc.

 LIGHT AND
TEMPERATURE IN
THE SEA
Organisms in upper portion use light for:
Vision
photosynthesis

Amount of energy reaching surface depends on:

Dust - clouds -gases
 Organisms that are photosynthetic must live in the
Photic Zone.

Things that diminish photosynthetic activity- decrease

depth are:
--dissolved substances
--suspended sediments
--plankton population
Seawater rapidly absorbs the violet and orange-red
portions of spectrum.

blue and green penetrate deeper

Red usually absorbed in top 10 m.
10% of blue penetrates to 100 m.
 When sunlight is absorbed by water molecules – it is
converted to heat energy – motion of water molecules
increases.

Temperature is used to measure the change in molecular

motion.
 SALINITY – TEMP. –
DENSITY
RELATIONSHIPS
Density increases when temp. decreases or salinity
increases.

Temp. fluctuates more than salinity so it has a greater

influence.
 THERMOCLINE

A subsurface zone to rapid temp.

decrease with depth. (~1 degree
Celsius / meter)
 PYCNOCLINE

•Ocean layer, usually near the bottom

of the photic zone, marked by a sharp
change in density.
•Large density difference on either side
of the thermocline separates ocean into
2 layers.
•This inhibits mixing and exchange of
gases, nutrients, and organisms.
 PRESSURE

At sea level 1 atm.

In sea pressure increases 1 atm/

10 m depth.
 DISSOLVED GASES

Dissolved gases and acid/base buffering:

Solubility of gases in sea water is a function of

temp.

Greater solubility at lower temp.

MOST ABUNDANT GASES IN
SEAWATER

Nitrogen

Carbon dioxide

Oxygen
 ACIDITY OF THE OCEAN

Abundance of hydrogen ion controls acidity

and alkalinity of the solution.

- carbonic acid – bicarbonate- carbonate

system in seawater acts as a buffer – limit
changes in pH.

Open ocean pH 7.5 to 8.4

 OXYGEN

Oxygen concentration influences distribution of

organisms.

Oxygen introduced into seawater two ways:

1. transfer of oxygen from atmosphere to
seawater.
2. production of excess oxygen by photosynthesis.
 Oxygen consumed near the bottom can
only be replaced by oxygen at the surface.

Oxygen replenished by:

Very slow diffusion process from oxygen
rich surface layers downward.
Downward vertical water movement.
 OXYGEN MINIMUM ZONE

At intermediate depths animal

respiration and bacterial decomposition
use oxygen as fast as it is replaced.
 DISSOLVED NUTRIENTS

Nitrates

Phosphates
Used by photosynthetic
organisms.
 OCEAN IN MOTION

•Constantly in motion

•Enhances mixing and minimizes variations in salinity

and temp.

•Also disperses swimming and floating organism, eggs,

spores, and larvae.

•Toxic body waste are carried away while food, nutrients,

and essential elements are replenished.
 Heat from the sun is the driving force
behind oceanic circulation.

Circulation processes beneficial to all life

forms:
1. wave action 2. tides
3. currents -4. vertical water motion
 WAVES

•- up and down movements of ocean surface.

•Heating of earth’s atmosphere produces winds.

•Winds produce waves and surface currents.

•Waves are periodic vertical disturbances of the

sea surface.
 SIZE AND ENERGY OF WAVE
DEPENDS ON:

1. wind velocity

2. duration

3. fetch – distance over which the wind

blows in contact with the sea surface.
 WAVES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY:

Height – Vertical distance between a wave crest

& the adjacent trough

Wavelength - horizontal distance between 2

successive wave crests or 2 successive wave
troughs

Period – time required for two successive wave

crests or troughs to pass a fixed point.
 ROGUE WAVES

•Huge lone wave with very high crests and

low troughs.

–Formed when 2 or more large waves unite.

or
–When waves meet opposing currents.
 SWELLS

More rounded crests and longer periods and

extend beyond area they were generated.
 TIDAL BORE

Occur in river and estuaries

Black Dragon Tidal Bore

 BREAKER

When water depth is less than ½

the wavelength, top of wave
moves faster than bottom ---
pitches forward, crashes.
 WHITE CAPS

Wind produces steep waves with

narrow crests – crest are easily
blown off by wind.
 TSUNAMIS

Created by sudden disturbance.

Energy transferred to water

when it reaches surface and
creates high velocity waves.
 TIDES

Very long period waves, periodic rise

and fall of sea surface.
Most coast lines have 2 high and 2 low
tides each day.
Time between 2 consecutive high and
low tides is approx. 6 hrs. 20 min.
 TIDAL RANGE

Vertical difference between

consecutive high tides and low
tides.
 • Moon has twice as much force on
tides than sun.
• Moon completes 1 orbit around the
earth each lunar month (27.5 days)
• Two equal high and 2 equal low
tides every 24 hours and 50 min.
(a lunar day)
Solar tides half as big as lunar
tides.
 SPRING TIDES

Sun, earth and moon are in

alignments
(new and full moon)
These are extra high-high tides,
etc.
 NEAP TIDES

Occur a week later, sun and moon at

right angles.

Moderate tides

During a lunar month get 2 spring and

2 neap tides.
 SEMIDIURNAL TIDES

Two high tides - two low tides

each lunar day.
 DIURNAL TIDES

One high and one low each day.

 MIXED SEMIDIURNAL TIDES

2 high and 2 low but the successive

high tides are different from each other.
 SURFACE CURRENTS

Occur in regions where winds

blow over the ocean with a
reasonable constancy of
direction and velocity
3 MAJOR WIND BELTS IN
N. HEMISPHERE

1. Trade winds

2. Westerlies

3. Polar easterlies
 OCEAN CURRENTS

A current – large mass of

continuously moving ocean water.
 GLOBAL OCEAN CURRENTS

Largest currents that move across the ocean

1. S. Equatorial

2. Gulf Stream

3. California current
 GYRES

Currents that move in giant circles

Also called surface currents

Wind driven
 COUNTER CURRENTS

Deeper, slow move in opposite

directions from wind driven
currents.
 UNDERTOE

Returning current or backwash

Strong current caused by wave

action.
 TIDAL CURRENTS

Swift moving currents, runs

parallel to the shore.
 WHIRLPOOL

Rapid movement of surface water in a

circle.

Formed between islands or result of

strong winds.
 LONGSHORE CURRENTS

Waves break at an angle and produce

current that moves parallel to the beach
 SANDBAR

Long hill of sand that is deposited a short

distance from the shore

•Forms parallel to the beach and acts like a dam.

•If pressure is great enough – ma break and
create a rush of water seaward = called rip
currents = fast narrow currents of water
traveling seaward.
 CORIOLIS EFFECT

Currents deflected to the (right) in N. hemisphere

and west (left) in S. hemisphere.

Deeper water layers sit into motion by water

above them – experience the Coriolis effect and
spiral downward.
 EL NINO

Prominent warming of the equatorial Pacific

surface waters.

Occurs irregularly every few years…usually at

Christmas time.
Occurs when pressure difference across the
tropical Pacific relaxes and both surface winds and
ocean currents either cease or reverse.
 VERTICAL WATER MOVEMENT

Produced by sinking and upwelling processes.

Upwelling – rising water masses

Brings deeper nutrient rich waters to the surface.
Produces area of high biological productivity.
 CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE
ENVIRONMENTS

Photic zone 50 – 100m. Light

Aphotic zone below 100 m no light

 CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE
ENVIRONMENTS
CONT.

Benthic division:
Environment on sea bottom
Continental shelf
Littoral system:
Supralittoral
Eulittoral
Sublittoral
 CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE
ENVIRONMENTS
CONT.

Deep Sea System:

Bathyal zone = continental slope

Abyssal zone = abyssal plains and other
ocean bottom areas.
Hadal zone = below 6,000 m. - trenches
 CLASSIFICATION OF MARINE
ENVIRONMENT:
CONT.

•Pelagic division:
–Includes the entire water mass.

2 provinces:
1. Neritic - water over continental shelf
2. Oceanic - water over deep ocean

Know diagram.