UNESCO adopts new international thermodynamic seawater equation

Washington, August 1 (ANI): The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has approved and adopted the new international thermodynamic equation of state for seawater called TEOS-10.

A complex, dynamic mixture of dissolved minerals, salts, and organic material, seawater has historically presented difficulties in terms of determining its physical chemical properties.

For 30 years, climate models have relied on a series of equations called the International Equation of State of Seawater - or EOS-80, which uses the Practical Salinity Scale of seawater.

This equation was used to determine the pressure, volume, temperature proprieties of seawater.

Other thermodynamic properties, including heat capacity, enthalpy and sound speed were obtained using separate equations.

The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) established a working group to look at the thermodynamic properties of seawater in 2005.

This committee has established a fresh approach to seawater thermodynamics.

The new equation of state is in the form of a comprehensive free energy function that includes all of the thermodynamic properties of seawater.

The new thermodynamic equation of state will replace the widely-use EOS-80 with a new set of highly accurate and comprehensive formulas that provide necessary adjustments and clarifications to the original equation.

According to Dr. Frank Millero, professor of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, "The previous International Equation of State of Seawater, which expresses the density of seawater as a function of Practical Salinity, temperature and pressure, served the oceanographic community well for three decades."

"However, the new equation uses Absolute Salinity and is a compact 'one-stop-shop' of sorts that takes many variables that we hadn't previously included into account, and allows us to get at more precise numbers, which in turn, will make climate projections even more accurate," he said. (ANI)