Question

after sampling a column of water from the surface to a depth of 3000 meters (nearly 10,000 feet), a colleague aboard an oceanographic research vessel tells you that the water column is isopycnal. what does this mean? what conditions create such a situation? what would have to happen in order to create a pycnocline?

Answer 1

Earth's oceans are in hydrostatic equilibrium, which means the pressure in the oceans is balanced and equal at all points below the surface. As a scuba diver, the pressure would increase as you dive deeper due to the weight of the water column above.

Step-by-step explanation:

When we say that Earth's oceans are in hydrostatic equilibrium, it means that the pressure within the oceans is balanced and equal at all points below the surface. This equilibrium is maintained by the weight of the water column above and the compressibility of water. As a scuba diver, you would expect the pressure to increase as you dive below the surface to a depth of 200 feet because the weight of the water column above increases, resulting in higher pressure.