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Glossary of Chemical Oceanography Terms
Alkali Metals: Group IA elements (H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr).
Alkaline Earth Metals: Group IIA elements (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra).
Amorphous Silica: Silica (SiO 2 ) without crystalline shape.
Amphibolite: A group of metamorphic rocks that consist primarily of hornblende.
Andesite: A fine- grain intermediate rock formed when magma of dioritic composition is
erupted as lava flows or is injected into fractures of volcanic vents.
Arkose: Pertains to rocks containing appreciable amounts of feldspar.
Atmospheric Input: The input of elements (Pb, Al) from the atmosphere to the oceans.
Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atomic nucleus.
Basalt: Occurs particularly in massive lava flows. Forms when gabbroic magma erupts at
the earth’s surface as lava. Fine- grain extrusive rock that covers much of the ocean
floor beneath the sediments.
Chlorite: (Mg, Fe) 6 (AlSi 3 )O 10 (OH) 8 . A clay mineral.
Complexes: The formation of species from the interaction of a metal ion with one or more
ligands, usually by the formation of covalent bonds.
Conservative Type Profile: The concentration shows little or no change with depth
(constant ratio of concentration/ salinity) due to low reactivity.
d0 Cations: The metallic elements with rare gas configurations; alkali metals, alkaline
earth, and lanthanide series elements.
d10 Cations: The metallic elements with an outer shell of 18 d electrons (Ag + , Zn 2+ , Ga 3+ ,
Sc 4+ ). Form strong halide complexes increasing in stability with increasing atom
mass or ligand size.
Detrital Carbonate Rock: A rock formed by the accumulation of fragments derived from
preexisting rocks and minerals by mechanical weathering and transported to their
place of deposition by purely mechanical agents (water, wind, ice, and gravity).
Dolomite: CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 . Calcium carbonate containing more than 50% Mg in place of Ca.
ECF(50): The concentration of a substance required to halt growth in 50% of the test
organisms.
EDTA (ethylenediamine N,N,N,N′ tetraacetic acid): An organic ligand that forms strong
complexes with metal ions.
Electronic Configuration of Atoms: A list of occupied orbitals in an atom.
Electrostatic Contribution: The measurement of the electrostatic contribution to the bond
energy or a measure of the attraction of an element for an oxide- based mineral.
Evaporites: The resultant salt precipitates following the slow evaporation of seawater
(gypsum and halite).
Gabbro: An igneous- plutonic rock (75% is dark ferromagnesian minerals and contains
plagioclase feldspar, olivine, pyroxene, and hornblende).
Geochemical Balance: The balance of inputs (rivers, atmosphere) and outputs
(sediments, vents) of elements in the marine environment. The balance is vital
in the study of the evolution of seawater, sedimentary cycling, and the controls
on the composition of the oceans.
Gneiss: A metamorphic rock. Parent rocks are commonly igneous- plutonic (granite,
syenite, diorite, gabbro) and sedimentary rocks (sandstones and shales).
Granite: A coarse- grain, igneous- plutonic rock that is high in Si, K, and Na but low in Ca,
Fe, and Mg.
Graywacke: An impure form of sandstone. Composed of rounded to angular fragments
of shale, slate, chert, granite, basalt, in addition to quartz.
Gypsum: A white mineral composed of CaSO 4 ∙2 H 2 O (hydrated calcium sulfate).
Glossary of Chemical Oceanography Terms
Alkali Metals: Group IA elements (H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr).
Alkaline Earth Metals: Group IIA elements (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra).
Amorphous Silica: Silica (SiO 2 ) without crystalline shape.
Amphibolite: A group of metamorphic rocks that consist primarily of hornblende.
Andesite: A fine- grain intermediate rock formed when magma of dioritic composition is
erupted as lava flows or is injected into fractures of volcanic vents.
Arkose: Pertains to rocks containing appreciable amounts of feldspar.
Atmospheric Input: The input of elements (Pb, Al) from the atmosphere to the oceans.
Atomic Number: The number of protons in an atomic nucleus.
Basalt: Occurs particularly in massive lava flows. Forms when gabbroic magma erupts at
the earth’s surface as lava. Fine- grain extrusive rock that covers much of the ocean
floor beneath the sediments.
Chlorite: (Mg, Fe) 6 (AlSi 3 )O 10 (OH) 8 . A clay mineral.
Complexes: The formation of species from the interaction of a metal ion with one or more
ligands, usually by the formation of covalent bonds.
Conservative Type Profile: The concentration shows little or no change with depth
(constant ratio of concentration/ salinity) due to low reactivity.
d0 Cations: The metallic elements with rare gas configurations; alkali metals, alkaline
earth, and lanthanide series elements.
d10 Cations: The metallic elements with an outer shell of 18 d electrons (Ag + , Zn 2+ , Ga 3+ ,
Sc 4+ ). Form strong halide complexes increasing in stability with increasing atom
mass or ligand size.
Detrital Carbonate Rock: A rock formed by the accumulation of fragments derived from
preexisting rocks and minerals by mechanical weathering and transported to their
place of deposition by purely mechanical agents (water, wind, ice, and gravity).
Dolomite: CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 . Calcium carbonate containing more than 50% Mg in place of Ca.
ECF(50): The concentration of a substance required to halt growth in 50% of the test
organisms.
EDTA (ethylenediamine N,N,N,N′ tetraacetic acid): An organic ligand that forms strong
complexes with metal ions.
Electronic Configuration of Atoms: A list of occupied orbitals in an atom.
Electrostatic Contribution: The measurement of the electrostatic contribution to the bond
energy or a measure of the attraction of an element for an oxide- based mineral.
Evaporites: The resultant salt precipitates following the slow evaporation of seawater
(gypsum and halite).
Gabbro: An igneous- plutonic rock (75% is dark ferromagnesian minerals and contains
plagioclase feldspar, olivine, pyroxene, and hornblende).
Geochemical Balance: The balance of inputs (rivers, atmosphere) and outputs
(sediments, vents) of elements in the marine environment. The balance is vital
in the study of the evolution of seawater, sedimentary cycling, and the controls
on the composition of the oceans.
Gneiss: A metamorphic rock. Parent rocks are commonly igneous- plutonic (granite,
syenite, diorite, gabbro) and sedimentary rocks (sandstones and shales).
Granite: A coarse- grain, igneous- plutonic rock that is high in Si, K, and Na but low in Ca,
Fe, and Mg.
Graywacke: An impure form of sandstone. Composed of rounded to angular fragments
of shale, slate, chert, granite, basalt, in addition to quartz.
Gypsum: A white mineral composed of CaSO 4 ∙2 H 2 O (hydrated calcium sulfate).