Salinity - Get out the yardstick
Get out the yardstick
In 1872, the H.M.S. Challenger began its worldwide ocean expedition from Portsmouth, England. On board were 240 sailors and scientists, including four naturalists and their support team. Originally built as a warship, the ship was converted into a floating scientific lab by the British government to study the biology of the sea, as well as the chemical and physical properties of the water. Between 1872 and 1876, the ship sailed 68,890 miles (110,908 kilometers) and made 492 stops. Nearly 5,000 new species, including giant worms and deep-sea shrimp almost as big as lobsters, were brought on board and identified.
Samples of seawater were also collected and analyzed for their chemical composition. The main substances present included bicarbonates and sulfates, as well as salts such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Sodium and chloride were the most abundant. While the samples...
[The entire page is 267 words long]
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