Why do seas provide habitats with minimum temperature variation?
How does turbulence of water influences the availability of gases?
I read that jellyfish have form in water but collapses into a mass when placed on land, why is that?
Its not really Homework i just read it from a book so its just out of curiosity
Jellyfish are mostly flexible cells filled with water. A balloon filled with water in the sea is nice an round, but if you drag it ashore, yee gads, it is not round anymore.
1. Why do seas provide habitats with minimum temperature variation?
Seas provide habitats with minimal temperature variation due to several factors:
a) Thermal properties: Water has a high specific heat capacity, which means it can absorb and store a significant amount of heat without undergoing large temperature changes. This helps to regulate the temperature within the sea, minimizing fluctuations.
b) Constant heat exchange: Oceans receive heat from the sun, which warms up the surface layer. However, due to the large volume and circulation patterns, this heat is distributed throughout the ocean layers, creating a more uniform temperature profile. The mixing of water masses through currents and tides also helps in maintaining relatively stable temperatures.
c) Mixing effect: Deep ocean currents are driven by density differences caused by temperature and salinity variations. These currents cause vertical mixing, bringing colder water from the depths to the surface, and vice versa. This mixing process further reduces temperature variations within the sea.
To summarize, the thermal properties of water, constant heat exchange, and mixing effects of water masses contribute to providing habitats in seas with minimum temperature variation.
2. How does the turbulence of water influence the availability of gases?
Turbulence refers to the chaotic motion of water, characterized by the irregular swirling and mixing of fluid. This turbulence plays a crucial role in the availability and distribution of gases in water bodies, such as oceans or rivers. Here's how it influences gas availability:
a) Oxygenation: Turbulent water promotes the exchange of gases at the air-water interface. This enhances the absorption of atmospheric oxygen into the water, resulting in higher oxygen concentrations. It also increases the release of carbon dioxide from the water into the atmosphere.
b) Nutrient dispersion: Turbulent water promotes the mixing and dispersion of nutrients within the water column. This facilitates the distribution of essential nutrients for aquatic organisms, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are crucial for their growth and survival.
c) Gas exchange between layers: Turbulence helps mix water masses from different depths, allowing the exchange of dissolved gases between different layers. This is particularly important for deep water areas where oxygen levels can be depleted due to bacterial decay processes. Turbulence brings oxygen-rich waters to these deeper areas, benefiting marine life.
In summary, the turbulence of water promotes gas exchange at the air-water interface, helps distribute nutrients, and enables the exchange of gases between different water layers, thereby influencing the availability of gases within aquatic ecosystems.
3. Why do jellyfish have form in water but collapse into a mass when placed on land?
Jellyfish possess a unique body structure consisting mainly of water. While in water, they maintain their shape due to the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid inside their bodies, called the mesoglea. However, when removed from water and placed on land, several factors contribute to their collapse into a mass:
a) Lack of support: The buoyancy provided by water supports the jellyfish's delicate body structure. When out of water, the lack of buoyancy removes this support, causing the jellyfish to lose its shape.
b) Water loss: Jellyfish are highly dependent on water to maintain their shape. When they are exposed to air, they start losing water through evaporation. As water evaporates from their body, they gradually shrink and collapse.
c) Lack of hydrostatic pressure: The hydrostatic pressure that keeps jellyfish inflated is absent outside of water. This pressure helps counterbalance the external pressure and maintains their form. Without water to provide the necessary pressure, the jellyfish collapses.
In summary, the unique physiology of jellyfish, relying on water to maintain their shape, results in their collapse when placed on land due to the lack of external support, water loss through evaporation, and absence of hydrostatic pressure.