Ocean level is the level of the land compared to the level of the sea. Basically it describes the height of certain places in accordance to the average height of sea. Ocean level from certain place will differ from another. Also, ocean level may affect the environmental condition since climate change also highly tied to ocean level. Somecases left a land get washed down or drowned. While a new land discovered after a sea level lowered down drastically also occurs. Hence, the ocean level is fluctuating depend on several factors. (See: Biggest Impacts of Ocean Currents on Climate).
For example, when full moon arises, the tide will rise and the level of the sea will rise as well. If sea level rise, the height of the land will decrease as a result. Such similar factors define the characteristics of oceanlevel.To know more about ocean levels, here are 20 characteristics of ocean level.
- Affected by Sea Tides
The very reason of the ocean level rise is the tides occurring at the sea. The tide can change depend on the climate. The most common factor of the sea tide is the moon cycle. During full moon, the gravitation the moon pulls is strong and it causes the sea level to rise. On the other hand, if the moon almost disappears from the sky, the tide is not so strong as the gravitational pull is weak. Thus, the ocean level decrease and the land’s height increase.
During full moon the tide tends to be strong and high and it is uses as signal for fisherman not to fish on the open sea. While the time when the tide is weak and the sea level becomes more shallow, some of the marine organisms may turn up on the surface.
- Defined by Salinities
The salinity of the sea also affect the ocean level. The salinity is the salt level contained in the sea. Salt affects the ocean level because during dry or summer, the humid temperature will make its mass lighter and ends up surfacing to the sea shore. It then is utilized to be commercial salt. Thus, when the salts dry out, the sea level also decreases.
It is mostly apparent during salt production season. When the weather is suitable, the salt will be crystalized and thus the amount of salt in the form of saline water is decreasing just like a lake is dried out during summer or dry season.
- Influenced by Abrasion
Another phenomenon that often occurs on the land that is frequently exposed to sea is abrasion. Abrasion is a phenomenon where the sea eventually wash the land away. Abrasion affects the ocean level because the land level will decrease if it keeps being washed away. Therefore, the sea level will increase.
There is a concern where the land may get washed down and disappear if it kept decreasing. There has been cases where many lands no longer are on surface when the waves are too strong the shore gets washed away.
- Defined by Vertical Movement of The Land
Another crucial characteristic of ocean level is that it is heavily depend on the vertical movement of the land. This is due to the fact that the sea level itself is a comparison between the height of the land and the height of the sea which is very fluctuating.
The land itself is also not a still part, the deeper part of the land is active with volcanic or tectonic movement, thus, it may rise or fall depend on the movement. If the land moves vertically down, the sea level increases and the same goes for the opposite. To know moreabout plates movement, read Characteristics of Oceanic Plates.
- Wind-driven
Some part of the ocean has its level or height affected by the wind. Wind may at first sound not to be a strong enough factor but in many cases, seasonal change of ocean level is due to the change of wind.
Wind that is strong enough will push the sea to the shore, making it higher and more dense than before. If it accumulates on the brink of the shore, the sea level increase and for extreme case some part of the land will get temporarily drowned. Hence, wind is indeed affect the ocean level.
- Tidal Flats Rise
The ocean level ia observable through the rise of the tidal flats. The tidal flat is the regular tide that is carried by the wind. An ocean with regular tidal flats is safe from any rise or fall of the ocean level.
However, if the sea level becomes increasing in drastic change, the tidal flats usually are regular and may mean something. In rarer and more frequent tidal flats, the ocean level will rise and vice versa.
- Expanded from Melting Ice
The current heated reason that alarmed public about the ocean level rise is the contribution from the melting ice. As the earth has two polars with ices surrounding them, it is in the danger of melting in a more speedy speed because of global warming.
As the result, the melted ice is going down to the sea and added the volume of it. Thus, it is clear that one of the ocean level characteristics is that it is affected by the melting ice caused by global warming.
- Reshaped Land
Ocean level is also determined by the land it surrounds. The active sea level usually will affect the land that come in contact directly with it. Active ocean level keeps rising and falling and it eventually take some of the coastal land along. Some of the lands lose significant part of the lower surface and has their size decreased. The land that has the ocean surround them will get a roundlike shape at the edge because of the abrasion
Some of the lands are reshaped, some are drowned or rise higher depend on how active the sea level is. Certain lands usually have unique shape due to being affec by the ocean level. Therefore,to see how active the ocean level, the shape of the land can help as well.
- Deepened Sea Color
The sea reflects the sun and the more shallow the sea level, the brighter the color will be. Therefore, one of the characteristics of ocean level is to see the general color it reflected. Certain sea level may only have similar heights or vice versa.
For example, deep blue sea means the sea is deep and there is more of marine water covered the lower land than the land rising above the sea line. This also applies for the opposite. Shallow sea level often does not have deep color and reflects the sea habitat in it as in the major types of ocean habitats. The easiest to tell is by looking at the gradation. Sea level near the coast shore tend to have pale blue to bright green color as it reflects the sun ray.
- Higher on The Low Land
Due to the nature of water that flows accordingly to the place, a land with lower height tend to have higher sea level. The ocean water naturally flows down to places that is lower and it causes the ocean level to move higher on certain places but is the opposite for the others.
Also places that tend to be crossed by active volcanic or tectonic activities tend to have ocean level fluctuating, let alone if it is on the low land. People who live in this kind of place must be aware if in other days the low land will get swallowed up by the current ocean level.
Other characteristics of the sea levels are:
- Seasonal Change of Tide for Ocean in a Rich Climate – During certain season the tide will rise. It will increase the sea level and vice versa.
- Different Marine Creatures in Different Height of Ocean Level – Different level of the sea’s height is occupied with different kinds of marine organisms. Deeper level will have a less common creature living in this habitat.
- Stable Tide in A Deep Ocean Level – When the oceanlevel isdeep, the tideis more stable unlessthere is forceful movement of the oceanic plate or strong wind.
- Affected by El Niño and La Nina – These two phenomenons have been investigated to affect the ocean level.
- Affected by Tropical Cyclone – tropical cyclone brings a strong wind that forces theea to create tides and waves.
- High Chance of Increasing from Damaged Habitat – Damaged habitat has bigger volume of oceanlevel as it goes uninhibited.
- Contains The Most Marine Minerals – Some of the ocean levels are rich of marine minerals.They are often beneficial for the living marine organism.
- Carver for Sea Caves – Strong abrasion caused by strong tides may leave a cave for the lower part of the land.
- Middle Sea Level Have More Stable Tide – the level of the ocean that are surroundedby many lands has less tidesand is more constant.
- Potential for Tsunami – active sea level, especially those under ocean plates are potential for tsunami.
Aside from the stated above, characteristics may vary depend on where the sea is located. Active organisms are also only found in an ocean level with considerable level of salinities. Ocean level is not a constant being that does not have flow. It will change depend on several factors that affects the change of sea level. Indeed, there are 20 characteristics of sea levels.
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