Unique Nature of Pure Water
What property of water allows it to form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules?
What is polarity?
What property of seawater is measured in parts per thousand ?
What is salinity?
What is the most abundant dissolved ion in seawater?
What is chloride
What human activity is the main source of CO₂ causing ocean acidification?
What is burning fossil fuels?
What process removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it in plants?
What is photosynthesis?
What gives water a high surface tension compared to most liquids?
What are hydrogen bonds?
How does increasing temperature affect the density of seawater?
What is it decreases density?
Name another major ion found in seawater besides chloride.
What is sodium
How does CO₂ affect the pH of ocean water?
What is it decreases the pH, making the water more acidic?
Name a way carbon moves from land to oceans.
What is rivers carrying dissolved carbon or organic matter?
What is the term for water’s ability to resist temperature change due to its high heat capacity?
What is thermal stability?
What causes seawater to have a higher boiling point than pure water?
What is the presence of dissolved salts (salinity)?
What is the average pH of ocean surface water?
What is about 8.1?
What effect does ocean acidification have on calcium carbonate shells?
What is it weakens shells or makes it harder for organisms to form them?
What process releases CO₂ from oceans back into the atmosphere?
What is outgassing?
Why does ice float on liquid water?
What is because ice is less dense than liquid water?
Why does seawater freeze at a lower temperature than freshwater?
What is because salt lowers the freezing point?
How does the carbonate system help buffer ocean pH?
What is by balancing CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, and CO₂ to resist pH changes?
Why are coral reefs especially vulnerable to ocean acidification?
What is because they rely on calcium carbonate to build their skeletons?
How do humans accelerate the carbon cycle?
What is by burning fossil fuels and deforestation?
How does water’s polarity contribute to its role as a “universal solvent”?
What is by allowing it to dissolve many polar and ionic substances?
How does pressure affect the freezing point of seawater in deep ocean environments?
What is higher pressure slightly lowers the freezing point?
Why does the solubility of gases in seawater decrease as temperature increases?
What is because warmer water holds less dissolved gas?
How can ocean acidification affect marine food webs?
What is by harming plankton and shellfish, which are food for other organisms?
How does the carbon stored in ocean sediments impact long-term climate regulation?
What is it removes carbon from the short-term cycle, storing it for millions of years?