Ocean salinity and temperature — Flashcards

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Ocean temperature refers to the degree of heat present in seawater. It is influenced by solar radiation, latitude, depth, and ocean currents. For example, equatorial waters are warmer (around 27–28°C)…

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The Sun’s rays strike the equator directly (vertical insolation), providing more heat, while at the poles, sunlight hits at a slant, spreading the same energy over a larger area, resulting in less hea…

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1. **Absorption of solar radiation** – primary source of heat. 2. **Convectional currents** – deeper water heated by Earth’s internal heat. 3. **Kinetic energy** – friction from winds and tides genera…

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During evaporation, water molecules absorb latent heat from the ocean surface to change from liquid to vapor. This heat loss cools the remaining water. The atmosphere gains this heat during condensati…

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It refers to the variation of surface temperature across latitudes. Temperature is highest at the equator (27–28°C) and decreases towards the poles. Warm currents like the Gulf Stream raise temperatur…

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It describes how temperature changes with depth. The ocean is divided into three zones: 1. **Surface zone** (0–100 m): warm and mixed. 2. **Thermocline** (100–1000 m): rapid temperature drop. 3. **Dee…

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The thermocline is a layer in the ocean between 100 m and 1000 m depth where temperature decreases rapidly with depth. It separates the warmer surface water from the colder deep water and acts as a ba…

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Below 1000 meters, sunlight cannot penetrate, so there is no solar heating. The water is isolated from surface changes and remains cold and stable, usually between 1°C and 2°C, slightly above freezing…