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Article: Sea Water, Physics and Chemistry of
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Sea Water, Physics and Chemistry of
Most people come in contact with the ocean only near its surface, and usually near its edges. In the huge part of the ocean that remains hidden, sea water is salty, cold, dark, and deep. Average salt content in the ocean is 35
grams per kilogram of sea water, composed mostly of six constituents: sodium (Na
+
), chloride (Cl
−
), sulfate (SO
4
2
−
), magnesium (Mg
2+
), calcium (Ca
2+
), and potassium (K
+
).
*
These are often referred to as conservative elements, because their ratios to each other remain constant throughout the ocean.
It is important to measure salinity of sea water accurately. The salinity and the temperature determine water density ...