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The ocean has been referred to as a
"chemical soup" because it contains many chemical compounds, elements, gases,
minerals, and organic and particulate matter. While water is the most
plentiful ingredient, salts are among the most important.
Amazingly, despite the major changes that have taken place on Earth
throughout history -- continental collisions, land
formations, glaciation -- the basic composition of seawater has
remained relatively constant for millions of years.
Chemical oceanographers, also called marine
chemists, marine geochemists, or even marine biogeochemists, may study one
or a combination of the following: formation of seawater and seafloor
sediments, relationships between chemical compounds
(both organic and inorganic), how chemical inputs to the ocean
(including pollution) affect it, and how the chemistry of the
ocean affects or is affected by biological, geological, and physical
factors. As with the other disciplines of oceanography,
chemical oceanographers rely on and interact with researchers from the
other disciplines.
One important aspect of chemical oceanography is
the study of pollutants. This work may lead chemical oceanographers to
the deep ocean, coastal bays and estuaries, or inland rivers, streams,
and lakes. Sources of pollutants range from the
obvious (sewage, oil or fuels, ocean dumping) to sources that are
harder to detect or trace (agricultural or lawn runoff
containing chemical fertilizers, leaking septic systems, road runoff,
or storm drain overflows).
Chemical oceanographers study the impact of such
pollutants by examining how they interact with seawater, marine life, and
sediments. Chemicals and pollutants introduced to a marine environment
may behave very differently depending on
environmental conditions such as salinity, wind, rainfall,
temperature, and transport methods. Transport methods include
land-based (for example, surface runoff or groundwater), water-based
(rivers and streams), and atmosphere-based (rain and
dust).
The study of carbon and its role in global
climate change has captured the attention of chemical oceanographers for decades.
Since the industrialization of the 18th century, researchers estimate
that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
increased by 25 percent. Although the scientific debate continues over
whether the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide
has caused global warming or vice versa, it is generally accepted that
modern society has added to the amount of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere.
The work of chemical oceanographers will
continue to provide answers to important questions. For example, the use of the
oceans for waste disposal and as a source for drugs and minerals will
require cooperative research between ocean chemists,
biologists, and geologists. It is the work of marine chemists that
aids ocean engineers in the development of instruments,
vessels, and ocean vehicles that, in turn, improve the ability of
researchers of all oceanographic disciplines to go to sea,
collect data, and discover previously unknown formations, marine life,
and phenomena.
As the population discovers new ways to use the
oceans--be it for food, transportation, energy, or waste disposal--chemical
oceanographers will play an important role in improving our knowledge
about the impact of these activities on the ocean and
its ability to sustain them.
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