Unique Nature of Pure Water
This molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
What is water (H2O)
The total amount of dissolved salts in seawater is called this.
What is salinity
The most abundant positive ion found in seawater.
What is sodium
This human activity is the leading cause of rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
What is burning fossil fuels
Carbon stored in rocks and fossil fuels belongs to this type of carbon reservoir.
What is the geological carbon reservoir
This property allows water molecules to stick together and form droplets.
What is surface tension
When temperature decreases and salinity increases, this happens to the density of seawater.
What is an increase in density
The most abundant negative ion found in seawater.
What is chloride
When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms this weak acid.
What is carbonic acid
This microscopic ocean organism absorbs carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.
What is phytoplankton
Water expands when it freezes because this type of bonding forms an open crystal structure.
What are hydrogen bonds
Deep ocean currents are driven by differences in temperature and salinity in a process known as this.
What is thermohaline circulation
The average time an ion stays in the ocean before being removed is known as this.
What is residence time
Ocean acidification harms organisms like clams and corals by weakening these protective structures.
What are calcium carbonate shells
The process that transports carbon from the ocean surface to deep water through sinking particles.
The process that transports carbon from the ocean surface to deep water through sinking particles.
Because of its polarity, water can dissolve many substances, earning it this nickname.
What is the universal solvent
The open ocean has an average salinity of about this many parts per thousand.
What is 35 PSU
The fact that major ions occur in constant proportions everywhere in the ocean is called this principle.
What is the principle of constant proportions
As CO2 levels rise, more hydrogen ions bind with carbonate ions, reducing this essential ion for shell building.
What is the carbonate ion
Increasing CO2 levels cause the ocean to absorb more carbon until this point is reached.
What is saturation
This property allows water to absorb and release large amounts of heat without changing temperature much.
What is high specific heat
Seawater freezes at a lower temperature than freshwater because these interfere with ice formation.
What are dissolved salts
Trace elements such as iron and zinc are important for this essential oceanic process.
What is phytoplankton growth
When coral skeletons weaken due to acidification, this type of ecosystem suffers great loss.
What is a coral reef
Human activities like burning fuels and deforestation upset this global balance of carbon.Â
What is the carbon cycle