Ocean-water cnstituents & concentration

The Ocean-water receive inputs from precipitation, steam flows, ground water, discharge from point-sources of waste water, and flows from nonpoint-sources, also some constituent from marine volcano.

The following is standard constituents around the world

The total dissolved solids content is average about 35,000 ppm.

The high concentration of constituents in sea water can be attributed partly to volcanic action over geologic ages and partly to continued concentration effect by the hydrologic cycle.

Constituents of rivers flowing into the ocean are mostly nonvolatile.

When water evaporates and return to the land through the hydrologic cycle, virtually all of the constituents remain behind in the ocean, accumulate with time, and slowly increase in concentration.

Some suspended solids settle and some colloidal and dissolved solids precipitate through chemical reactions that occur after they arrive in the ocean and also settle to become part of the bottom deposits.

Some other constituents, may be used in the food chain of the thousands of living organisms in the ocean.

After death of organisms it will be added to the bottom deposits.

A biological action in bottom deposits may return compounds to the water above, providing interchanges in both directions between deposits and water.

Similarly there is an interchange of volatile and other constituent between the ocean and the atmosphere.

All these phenomena may be modified substantially on a local basis by inputs of streams, wastes, runoff, or other sources of constituents.


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