Composition
Mixed Layer
Upper 200m of ocean that receives sunlight, is warm, and less dense
Density
Downwelling
When cold dense water forms at the poles then sinks from the mixed layer down to the deep layer
Gyre
Rotating surface current
Transverse Currents
Wind moves surface water across ocean basins from east/west or west/east
CO2
Carbon dioxide a potent greenhouse gas and biggest source of carbon in the atmosphere
Biological Pump
Movement of carbon in and out of the ocean by living things
pH 7
Neutral pH nether acidic nor basic
12.5h
Time between consecutive high tides
Deep Layer
Bottom layer of ocean that is cold, dense, and receives NO sunlight
Salinity
Amount of salt dissolved into a given volume of water (g/L)
Upwelling
When cold dense water from the deep layer gets pulled back up to the surface. Driven by pull of water moving away from the equator towards the poles.
Surface Current
A current driven by wind and coriolis effect in the mixed layer of water only
Direction that water deflects in southern hemisphere due to corilis effect
Diffusing and Dissolving
How carbon dioxide enters the ocean via the physical pump
Decay and Respiration
Biological processes that move carbon back out of ocean and into the atmosphere
H+
Hydrogen ions. An increased concentration of these makes the ocean more acidic.
Tidal Bulge
Bulge of water pulled away from Earth's surface by the gravitational pull of the Moon (and Sun).
Thermocline
Euphotic Zone
Upper 200m of ocean that sunlight can penetrate
Brine Exclusion
Salt cannot be frozen into sea ice it gets pushed out the bottom making a dense salty brine that drives the thermohaline current
Clockwise
Direction a gyre spins in Northern Hemisphere
Anticlockwise
Direction a gyre spins in Southern hemisphere
Cold Water
Dissolves more carbon dioxide gas
Shell Building
Ocean creatures that use dissolved carbonate ions and calcium to make protective shells made of calcium carbonate (Ca2+ + CO32- --> CaCO3)
H2CO3
Carbonic acid this forms when CO2 enters the ocean and reacts with water.
Spring Tide
Abnormally high tide caused by the moon, sun, and earth being in line which increases the strength of the gravitational pull creating the tidal bulges
Halocline
Transition between upper layer of ocean that is less salty and deep layer of ocean that is more salty
Aphotic zone
Lower layer of ocean that light cannot penetrate to due to absorption and scattering of light by water
Low Insolation
Low amount of sunlight at the poles due to it coming in at a very low angle so spread over a high area. This makes the surface water to poles very COLD and contributes to downwelling.
Coriolis Effect
Deflection of water and wind as it moves from faster spinning areas of Earth (equator) to slower spinning areas of Earth (poles) or opposite way
Ekman Spiral
Layers of water increasingly deeper in the ocean move slower than layers above so each layer is MORE deflected by Coriolis effect resulting in a spiral of water moving in various directions.
Hot Water
Holds less dissolved gasses due to fast movement of water molecules bumping gas out of solution
Marine Snow
When dead ocean creatures sink to the bottom of the ocean their carbon rich remains form an ooze layer of carbonates that get compacted into limestone
CO32-
Carbonate ion this gets made when carbonic acid breaks down (dissociates) into bicarbonate then into carbonate ions. These are used by living creatures to make protective shells.
Abnormally weak high tides due to the Moon being at 90 degrees to the Sun, their gravitational pulls on Earth's oceans are partially cancelled out making smaller tidal bulges.
Pycnocline
Sudden change in density with depth around 200+m in the ocean due to temperature decrease and salinity increase
Specific Heat Capacity
Amount of heat energy water can absorb before it actually increases in temperature. Water has a high specific heat capacity.
Impact on Climate
THC moves water at the surface from equator to the poles with brings thermal energy with it that heats up the atmosphere of high latitude countries and stops them freezing over
Hadley Cell
Rising and falling pockets of air due to warm air rising near equator and cooling and falling near mid latitudes that creates the equatorial trade winds
Ekman Transport
Net movement of water at 90 degrees to the direction of trade winds due to coriolis effect and Ekman Spiral
Phytoplankton
Use dissolved CO2 gas in mixed layer of the ocean to do photoynthesis (CO2 + H2O --> C6O6H12 + O2)
Limestone
Calcium carbonate rock that forms at the bottom of oceans due to compaction of marine snow, this locks carbon away for millions of years
Equilibrium reactions
Reactions that can go backwards when there is too much product formed. This is why ocean acidification makes less carbonate available to shell building organisms.
King Tide
When a spring tide occurs AND the moon is closest to the Earth in its elliptical orbit AND the Earth is closest to the Sun in its elliptical orbit creating a particularly combined gravitational pull of the sun AND moon on Earth's oceans creating massive tidal bulges.