Deep sea physical oceanography

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Deep Sea Physical Oceanography is the study of flow dynamics, geology and geophysics, and thermo and hydrodynamics of the deep sea, where deep sea means below 15 m.

The flow of the ocean in deep sea is dramatically slowed than that of the surf zone and surface flow. This is due to the salt content being larger than that on the surface. Also, the average temperature drops about 20 or so degrees. The temperature can be found with the formula:

T = a * 3.14 / D

In this, T is the temperature in degrees Celsius, a = 30.77, and D is depth.

So, in the Mariana Trench, T = 0, which is about as cold as it gets. But, as we have seen with the ALVIN submersible, we have found that the deep sea isn't just a cold abyss. There are hydrovents, and some reach up to 100 °C. So, according to the formula above, the temperature of the area around the hydrovent is:

C = T + T'

T is the temperature given above, and T' is the temperature of the vent.

Now, with temperature there is going to be entropy. When ALVIN discovered the hydrovents, the sea life and entropy were evident. Well, with the formula for entropy in the deep sea (anywhere, for that matter in the ocean) is:

S = TA / dt

Where S is entropy, T is temperature (which also could be C in the equation presented above)and A is area of the rock formation, and dt is the differential of time under consideration.

How this formula is measured is the total number that entropy (sea life, disorder, so forth and on) on over the area A.

Flow patterns and dynamics follow basic hydrodynamical laws, but because it is denser, the flow is measured as a whole, not coordinate by coordinate. This is measured by tensors, and this is a fairly new field.

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