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Anoxic sea water

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	Topics Anoxic sea water Topic Home Anoxic sea water refers to sea water depleted of oxygenOxygen Oxygen is a chemical element with the chemical symbol O and atomic number 8.... . It is generally found in areas with restricted water exchange. In most cases, oxygen is prevented from reaching the deeper parts of the sea area by a physical barrier (sill) as well as a pronounced density stratification. Anoxic conditions will occur if the rate of oxidationRedox Redox reactions include all chemical processes in which atoms have their oxidation number changed.... of organic matter by bacteriaBacteria Bacteria are a major group of living organisms.... is greater than the supply of oxygen. Anoxic waters are a natural phenomenon , and have occurred during the geological history of the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53N to 66N latitude and from 20E to 26E longitude.... . Recently, there have been some indications that eutrophicationEutrophication Eutrophication is the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen or phospho... has increased the extent of the anoxic areas in, e.g., the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. Anoxic conditions result from several factors; for example, stagnationWater stagnation Water stagnation occurs when water stops flowing.... conditions, density stratification, inputs of organic material, and strong thermoclineThermocline The thermocline is a layer within a body of water or air where the temperature changes rapidly with depth.... s. The bacterial production of sulfideSulfide The term sulfide refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of −2... starts in the sediments, where the bacteria find suitable substrates, and then expands into the water column. When oxygen is depleted in a basin, bacteria first turn to the second-best electron acceptor, which in sea water is nitrate. DenitrificationDenitrification Denitrification is the process of reducing nitrate, a highly oxidised form of nitrogen available for consumption by many gro... occurs, and the nitrate will be consumed rather rapidly. After reducing some other minor elements, the bacteria will turn to reducingRedox Redox reactions include all chemical processes in which atoms have their oxidation number changed.... sulfateSulfate In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid. ... . If anoxic sea water becomes reoxygenized, sulfides will be oxidized to sulfate according to: HS^- + 2 O₂ ? HSO₄^- Anoxic basins Bannock Basin, eastern Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the sou... ; Black SeaBlack Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and Anatolia that is actually a distant arm of the Atlantic Ocean... Basin, off eastern Europe, below 150 ft.; Caspian SeaCaspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth by both area and volume, with a surface area of 371,000 square kilometres and ... Basin, below 300 ft.; Cariaco BasinCariaco Basin The Cariaco Basin lies off the north central coast of Venezuela and forms the Gulf of Cariaco.... , off north central VenezuelaVenezuela Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical Caribbean coast of South America.... ; Gotland DeepGotland Basin Overview The Gotland Basin is the large central basin in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and the Baltic countries.... , in the Baltic off SwedenSweden The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country in Scandinavia.... ; Mariager FjordMariager Fjord With a length of approximately 35 km , Mariager Fjord is the longest fjord in Denmark .... , off DenmarkDenmark The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries.... ; Saanich InletSaanich Inlet Saanich Inlet is a body of salt water that lies between the Saanich Peninsula and the Malahat highlands of Vancouver Island,... , off Vancouver IslandVancouver Island Vancouver Island is located off Canada's Pacific coast and is part of the Canadian province of British Columbia.... , CanadaCanada Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America.... ; See also Anoxic eventAnoxic event Oceanic Anoxic Events occur when the Earth's oceans become completely depleted of O2 below the surface levels.... The Revenge of GaiaThe Revenge of Gaia James Lovelock wrote the Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back - and How we Can Still Save Humanity in 2006, at a ...