Oceanography

Factors influencing the composition of seawater

  Inorganic agencies affecting composition of sea water

   

 Inflow of river water, freezing and melting of sea ice, biological activity and exchange of substances with the atmosphere are the factors which affect the composition of sea water. Along the shores, spray is swept up in to the air. Through this spray the dissolved salts in the water are removed from the sea to the atmosphere.

E.g. the chloride in the water are carried away in to the atmosphere. It is evidenced by the observation of chloride content in air near ocean in range between 0.07 and 0.5mg km of air. The exchange of dissolved gases and nitrogen compounds also modify the quantity of these substance in sea water.

Effects of Rivers on the composition of sea water

    

Rivers contribute about 2.73 No⁹ x 109 metric tons of dissolved solids. River water contains higher concentrations of  phosphate and nitrogen compounds and it draws in to the sea. River also drains the leached out salts from the rock and highercarbondioxide compounds are also added by the rivers in to the sea. River water also adds ions like, CO₃^, So₄, Cl^-, NO₃^-, Ca⁺⁺, mg⁺⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Sio₂.

 

     

Effects of formation and melting of sea ice:

Rivers contribute about 2.73 No⁹ x 109 metric tons of dissolved solids. River water contains higher concentrations of phosphate and nitrogen compounds and it draws in to the sea. River also drains the leached out salts from the rock and higher carbondioxide compounds are also added by the rivers in to the sea. River water also adds ions like, CO₃^, So₄, Cl^-, NO₃^-, Ca⁺⁺, mg⁺⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Sio₂. The formation of ice has pronounced effect upon the relative composition of the salts in the water.