Even if you don’t like graphs, look at this one – it’s so cool. Lija, a scientist on the chemistry team shared a photo with me that gave me a whole new appreciation for the complexity of the ocean. Using data and water samples from the CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) instrument that is sent hundreds of meters down into the water, the picture starts to emerge. On the graph below, the vertical axis goes from the surface (the top of the graph) to 550meters deep (the bottom of the graph). The horizontal axis varies for the different-colored data, but in general, the further you go to the right, the bigger the number. Imagine looking at a cross-section, or side view, of the ocean, and here’s what you see:
• BLUE = temperature. Lots of different currents flow into and around the Arctic. A layer with a distinctly different temperature means that is from a different water mass/location.
• RED = salinity (salt content). Fresh water is less dense than salt water, so the top layer of the ocean is less salty than lower, denser layers. The top layer is also affected by precipitation and melting.
• YELLOW = nitrate levels. This tells you about phytoplankton growth – nitrates are stirred up by the wind near the surface, and then consumed by phytoplankton, so that’s why you see lower yellow numbers in shallow water.
• GREEN = dissolved oxygen. This is an indicator of biomass (living organisms). It is the peak layer for phytoplankton, where maximum photosynthesis is taking place.
Get the picture? Are you seeing the ocean? It’s quite the different view from the one we have from the top!
The graph of the ocean was so interesting. We are so used to thinking of it as only water. Now I have a totally different view of it
Hi Mom! I’m so glad you got a totally different view of the ocean! 🙂 I thought that graph was so cool.