3. Temperature Within
the Deep Ocean
Expedition Menu
1. Intro & Objectives
2. Ocean Temperature
3. Temperature in the Sea
4. Seawater Density
5. Ocean Circulation
6. Atmospheric Heat
7. Heat and Pressure
8. Atmospheric Pressure
9. Air Pressure and Wind
10. Wind Directions
11. Global Wind Patterns
12. Measuring Circulation
We also demonstrated the fact that solar radiation penetrates only a short distance into the ocean, resulting in warming of the top 1 to 200 meters of the ocean.
In the cross-section below, we will examine the layers of different temperature in the ocean in order to see that the vast majority of the ocean never experiences sunlight and therefore remains very cold, between 4 and 0oC (near freezing at 1 atmosphere of pressure for fresh water).
Image from Matthias Tomczak and copyright-protected.
The scale along the left side of the diagram provides the water depth and the contour lines are color-coded by temperature (ocentigrade) with the scale shown at the right.
The light grey, swiggly line in the lower part of diagram represents the seafloor.
Indeed portions of the ocean can experience temperatures below 0oC.
Why don't these regions freeze?
Last Updated on
October 24, 1998
Send to Don Reed
Department of Geology
San José State University
What is the temperature for the vast majority of the ocean?
a) Between 10 and 5oC
b) Between 4 and 0oC
c) Between 0 and -4oC
d) None of the above.