Oceans - Overview of Ocean Chemistry

5 important questions on Oceans - Overview of Ocean Chemistry

What are the three types of layers in the water?

Thermocline: defined by temperature. Density is highest at approx. 4 celsius degrees.
halocline: defined by salinity
Pycnocline: defined by water density

What are the sources of salinity?

Rivers: erosion and sedimentation
Volcanos and cloud forming --> precipitation of salts

What changes the CO2 solubility?

Increases with pressure
Decreases with temperature and salinity
Also change because of vertical mixing and present organisms (photosynthesis, respiration and oxidation)
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How is the calcium carbonate concentration changede by CO2?

The more CO2 that can be held in solution, the more calcium carbonate will dissolve. Calcium carbonate is more soluble in deep ocean than surface water, because more CO2 can be held in a solution at higher pressure and cooler temperature

What is the carbonate compensation depth (CCD)?

The depth below the saturation horizon at which calcium carbonate is not preserved in surface sediments. So CCD is a kinetic horizon, defined as the location (depth) where dissolution rate / supply rate = 1.

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