GEOG 1300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Breadbasket, Loess, Gulf Coastal Plain
18 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
A sea is generally smaller than an ocean and tends to be associated with a landmass. Most natural elements and the compounds they form are found in the seas as dissolved solids, or solutes, because water is the universal solvent. Salinity refers to the concentration of dissolved solids. Seven elements account for more than 99% of the dissolved solids in seawater: chlorine, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium, and bromine. Dissolved gases in seawater include co2, n2, and o2. Worldwide average salinity is 3. 5% or 35%o (% parts per thousands) Brackish salinity is less than 3. 5: often occurs near landmasses because of freshwater runoff and river discharge. The atlantic is considerably saltier than the pacific ocean: due to circulation, more evaporation in the atlantic. Ocean absorbs co2 from the atmosphere, forms carbonic acid in the seawater, and reduces the ocean ph value.
