Why is the ocean salty?
You may print out and
use this sheet as a worksheet to take notes, however,
the final answers that you
submit for this assignment should be
submitted on a
separate sheet of paper according to the guidelines for the class
(typed!).
(See
"Guidelines for Assignments").
Go to the following Internet address by clicking on the address below:
http://www.palomar.edu/oceanography/salty_ocean.htm
This Internet site at contains information from Herbert Swenson of the U.S. Geological
Survey regarding the chemical nature of ocean water. We will explore much of this material
in class but
you will find it helpful if you gather some of the information yourself and
use the class time as a time to review the information you have gathered.
1. What are some of the sources of salts in the ocean?
2. What does it mean to have a balanced salt budget?
Is the ocean's salt budget
balanced?
3. Do past accumulations of dissolved or suspended solids in the ocean completely
explain
why the ocean is salty?
What other process contributes to saltiness?
4. How is salinity reported (what units are used)?
5. What processes or factors affect the salinity of ocean water?
6. Where are the saltiest bodies of water?
How salty are they?
What factors control their saltiness?
7. Where can one find low sea water salinities?
What processes are at work here to create such low salinities?
8. What is the average salinity of the ocean?
9. What are the two principle dissolved constituents in river water?
What are the 2 principle dissolved constituents in ocean water?
10. What did William Dittmar discover about ocean water?