Play important roles in various chemical processes and the overall chemistry of seawater (e.g. freezing, melting, photosynthesis, oxidation-reduction reactions, buffer mechanism, carbonate chemistry, geochemical cycles)
Higher salinity increases its viscosity (internal resistance to flow) and density, resulting in a lower freezing point and a higher boiling point than pure water
Oceans get as much salt as they lose, keeping the salt content stable; Salinity varies from 33 to 37 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater, mainly affected by evaporation and precipitation
Inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen are critical nutrients for marine organisms; Silicate is essential for the growth of diatoms; Trace elements like iron, zinc, cobalt, and copper are essential cofactors for enzymatic reactions
As a wave passes through water, a column of water below the surface completes the same orbital motion, which is disturbed by the seafloor in shallow areas, causing the wave to break
As a wave passes through water, not only does the surface water follow an orbital motion, but a column of water below it (down to half of the wave's wavelength) completes the same movement
Storm surges and tsunamis do not create a typical crashing wave but rather a massive rise in sea level upon reaching shore, and they can be extremely destructive to coastal environments
1. Winds push some parts of the water down which in turn pushes other parts of the water up, creating a cycle that forms a wave
2. The more intense the wind blows, and the longer it blows for, the bigger and stronger the wave will become
3. The further the distance the wind travels, the greater the fetch and the greater the wave size
4. As the wave approaches the shore, the cycle created by the wind begins to break and the waves interact with the shape of the coastline and the underwater geography
The greater the wind velocity, the longer the fetch, and the greater duration the wind blows, then the more energy is converted to waves and the bigger the waves
A stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation
Transfer significant amounts of heat from Earth's equatorial areas to the poles and thus play important roles in determining the climates of coastal regions
Influence and are influenced by atmospheric circulation
The change in water pressure over a certain distance in the ocean, which creates a force that drives the movement of water from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure
The deflection of moving water caused by the rotation of the Earth, which causes currents to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
A type of oceanic flow where the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis effect, resulting in a current that flows along the contours of equal pressure