Chemical Oceanography What is Oceanography? Oceanography covers a wide range of topics, including marine life and ecosystems, ocean circulation, plate tectonics and the geology of the seafloor, and the chemical and physical properties of the ocean.

What is Chemical Oceanography? The study of the chemical composition of sea water or the chemistry of the ocean! What is Chemistry?

Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the properties, composition, and structure of elements and compounds, how they can change, and the energy that is released or absorbed when they change. Let’s talk chemistry! Let’s talk chemistry! What is a chemical bond? A lasting attraction between atoms, ions, or molecules that enables the formation of chemical compounds. Main Molecules and elements in the ocean

Water: H2O

Salt: NaCl

A lot of marine chemistry deals with how these two molecules react with each other and react with other molecules and compounds Main Molecules and elements in the ocean Sodium chloride (AKA Salt) makes up about 85% of the solids in seawater. The remaining 15% include: sulfate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, bromide, borate, strontium, fluoride and others. Moluecules and elements in the ocean When we talk about chemical oceanography, we are discussing what happens to our the oceans chemical composition when ocean water reacts with different variables such as acidification, pollution, and the sea floor! What is Chemical Oceanography? This includes: - The acidity of the water (pH) and ocean acidification - The ocean’s natural processes - The effects of pollutants on the oceans chemical make up - How sea water reacts with the ocean floor - How its chemical make up impacts living organisms Why is the ocean salty?

1.) Over thousands of years, rain has fallen and broken up rocks and minerals that have been transported into the ocean. Although some of this rain water falls into rivers and streams, it ALL collects in the ocean.

2.) Hypothermal Vents, an opening in the sea floor where mineral rich water flows. These vents spew out salty water due to the movement of different layers of underground rock. Hydrothermal Vents Not only do hydrothermal vents create a “saltier” ocean but, they also contribute to adding other elements that come from magma and earths crust. These create black and white smoke. What is CO2 and how does it affect our ocean’s chemistry? -CO2 is found naturally in our oceans but, due to human activity there is now WAY too much! Over 30% of all CO2 in the atmosphere sinks back down into our oceans.

-CO2 can come from fossil fuels, gas from cars and other modes of transportation, and from using electricity.

-Too much CO2 in the ocean can cause our ocean to be come to acidic and creates unbalanced ocean chemistry. Examples of how humans produce co2 emissions Ocean acidification Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Too much CO2 in our ocean creates this! What is pH? pH is the term we use to describe how acidic or basic a liquid is. All substances have a pH between 1 and 14.

Just like how we would measure length with a ruler, we measure acidity with the pH scale. Ocean acidification Ocean acidification

-CO2 from the atmosphere sinks down into the ocean and reacts with H20

-When these two molecules react, they create carbonic acid, making the ocean very acidic!

- An ocean that has high acidity breaks down limestone that coral uses to grow and the carbonate needed to build some marine organisms shells Ocean acidification How does pollution effect the ocean’s chemistry? -The oceans are so deep and widely undiscovered, that until fairly recently, it was assumed that no matter how much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, there would be no lasting effects on the marine environment.

-More than 100,000 chemicals are used commercially and many of them are dumped into our marine environment via runoff, atmospheric transport, and direct disposal. How does pollution effect the ocean’s chemistry? Why is it importa nt to study marine chemistry? The ocean supports the greatest abundance of life on earth! This life can only survive if we have water that is chemically balanced, clean, and healthy.