Structure of the Oceans

Sunlight shining through the waterOn a quiet day, the ocean's surface may seem calm and peaceful. However, another, more chaotic world exists deep below the surface. In this world, enormous variations occur within the very structure of ocean.

In this topic, you'll explore the deep ocean to learn about how depth affects important properties of the ocean including salinity, density and pressure.

Essential Questions

  • How does depth affect salinity of seawater?
  • How does depth affect the density of seawater?
  • How does precipitation affect the salinity of seawater?
  • What is a pycnocline?