What affects how salty the ocean is?
• Is the ocean becoming saltier? Why or why not? • Where would each ocean be least salty? Mission: Part I: Create a visual presentation of your findings! (i.e. pie charts illustrating the chemical composition of the ocean or oceans, line graphs of the three major oceans showing seasonal salinity readings or a comparison of the salinity of each of the oceans to one another) After all, Earth really has only one ocean. Oceanographers have broken it down into three major divisions: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian. Why have they done this? What purpose does this division serve? (Some sources of information refer to four oceans. Oceanographers, however, consider there to be only three.) Here are some sites that might help you: NOAA National oceanographic Data Center (NODC) http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/salinity.html **Note: You can produce your graphs using programs such as EXCEL or you may create them using graph paper, rulers, protractors, and compasses. Part II: Now that you are armed wi
; Why is the Ocean Salty?; By Herbert Swenson; US Geological Survey Publication; … HOW SEA LIFE AFFECTS SEA WATER’S COMPOSITION…; Inasmuch as the oceans receive most of their water from the rivers, the ratios (as distinguished from the total amounts) of different chemical constituents should be about the same in…
