© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Temperature and Density Variation With Depth Pycnocline – abrupt change of density with depth Thermocline – abrupt change of temperature with depth
Jun 21, 2015
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
Temperature and Density Variation With Depth
Pycnocline – abrupt change of density with depth
Thermocline – abrupt change of temperature with depth
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Layered Ocean
Three distinct water masses based on density:
Mixed surface layer – above thermocline Upper water – thermocline and
pycnocline Deep water – below thermocline to ocean
floor High latitude oceans – thermocline and
pycnocline rarely develop Isothermal Isopycnal
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DesalinizationRemoving salt from
seawater Distillation
Most common process
Water boiled and condensed
Solar distillation in arid climates
Electrolysis Electrode-containing
freshwater Membrane between
fresh and salt water tanks
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Desalinization
Reverse osmosis Salt water forced
through membrane into fresh water
Freeze separation Water frozen and
thawed multiple times
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Light Transmission in Ocean Water
Visible light of the electromagnetic spectrum Blue (short) wavelengths penetrate deepest Longer wavelengths (red, orange) absorbed first
Not in notes: write out – Light transmission depends on:
a. Dust and cloud cover.b. Angle of the sun above the horizon.c. The smoothness or roughness of the sea.d. The amount of suspended material in the water.
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Transmission of Light in Seawater
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Color in the Ocean Color of ocean
ranges from deep blue to yellow-green
FactorsTurbidity from
runoffPhotosynthetic
pigment (chlorophyll)
Secchi Disk – measures water transparency