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Here, the water is chilled by Arctic temperatures. It also gets saltier because when sea ice forms, the salt does not freeze and is left behind in the surrounding water. The cold water is now more dense, due to the added salts, and sinks toward the ocean bottom. Surface water moves in to replace the sinking water, thus creating a current.
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that involves the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.Unlike many other biogeochemical cycles, the atmosphere does not play a significant role in the movement of phosphorus, because phosphorus and phosphorus-based materials do not enter the gaseous phase readily, [1] as the main source of gaseous phosphorus ...
2 dissolves, it reacts with water to form a balance of ionic and non-ionic chemical species: dissolved free carbon dioxide (CO 2(aq)), carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3), bicarbonate (HCO − 3) and carbonate (CO 2− 3). The ratio of these species depends on factors such as seawater temperature, pressure and salinity (as shown in a Bjerrum plot).
The decreasing saturation of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate, associated with ocean acidification, a result of increased carbon dioxide (CO 2) absorption by the oceans, poses a significant threat to marine calcifiers. As CO 2 concentrations in seawater rise, a decrease in pH and a reduction in carbonate ion concentrations in seawater ...
As the ocean acidifies, the increased uptake of CO 2 by seawater increases the concentration of hydrogen ions, which lowers the pH of the water. [14] This change in the chemical equilibrium of the inorganic carbon system reduces the concentration of these carbonate ions. This reduces the ability of these organisms to create their shells and ...
Relationship of phosphate to nitrate uptake for photosynthesis in various regions of the ocean. Note that nitrate is more often limiting than phosphate The Redfield ratio or Redfield stoichiometry is the consistent atomic ratio of carbon , nitrogen and phosphorus found in marine phytoplankton and throughout the deep oceans.
The average density at the surface is 1.025 kg/L. Seawater is denser than both fresh water and pure water (density 1.0 kg/L at 4 °C (39 °F)) because the dissolved salts increase the mass by a larger proportion than the volume. The freezing point of seawater decreases as salt concentration increases.
Deep sea water column The (oceanic) water column is a concept used in oceanography to describe the physical (temperature, salinity , light penetration) and chemical ( pH , dissolved oxygen , nutrient salts) characteristics of seawater at different depths for a defined geographical point.