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is water warmer the deeper you go

by Reinhold Parker Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The temperature of ocean water also varies with depth. In the ocean, solar energy is reflected in the upper surface or rapidly absorbed with depth, meaning that the deeper into the ocean you descend, the less sunlight there is. This results in less warming of the water.

Water gets colder with depth because cold, salty ocean water sinks to the bottom of the ocean basins below the less dense warmer water near the surface.Feb 26, 2021

Full Answer

Why is the top of the lake warmer than the bottom?

In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers. You've probably noticed this when swimming in a lake in summer - your shoulders feel like they're in a warm bath while your feet are chilled. Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface.

How does the temperature of ocean water vary with depth?

The temperature of ocean water also varies with depth. In the ocean, solar energy is reflected in the upper surface or rapidly absorbed with depth, meaning that the deeper into the ocean you descend, the less sunlight there is. This results in less warming of the water.

What is the difference between warm water and cold water?

Cold water is also more dense, and as a result heavier, than warm water. Colder water sinks below the warm water at the surface, which contributes to the coldness of the deep ocean. The vertical structure in the ocean created by temperature differences has a large impact on how life is distributed in the ocean.

Does water get colder as you go deeper in the spring?

Spring water comes out colder from being underground. But if you get deeper the temperature goes up. At what depth does the underground stop getting colder and begins getting warmer?

Why does the top of a lake feel warmer?

What happens when the surface water turns to the bottom of a lake?

Why is temperature important in lakes?

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At what depth is the water the warmest?

Water is warmest at the surface, as it is warmed by the sun, and the sun's rays can only penetrate depths less than 1000 m (section 6.5). Since the surface water is warmer it is also less dense than the deep water (section 6.3), so it remains at the surface where it can be warmed even more.

How much does water temperature change with depth?

Temperatures in the oceans decrease with increasing depth. There are no seasonal changes at the greater depths. The temperature range extends from 30 °C (86 °F) at the sea surface to −1 °C (30.2 °F) at the seabed.

Does it get colder the deeper you dig?

No, it is not true that necessarily the deeper you get the cooler it gets. For really deep holes it is actually the opposite, the deeper you get the warmer the temperature gets. This is called the Geothermal Gradient. This states that temperature goes up 25C per 1KM of depth .

Is Shallow water warmer?

The shallow water temperatures are generally warmer than their corresponding deeper water measurements.

Why is lake water warmer at night?

At night, while the land cools off quickly, the water at the surface is kept warmer because the water is mixed around with the warmer water underneath. All of this mixing keeps the temperature in the area more constant, not like the land that goes from hot to cold.

Where is the warmest water in a lake?

In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers. You've probably noticed this when swimming in a lake in summer - your shoulders feel like they're in a warm bath while your feet are chilled. Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface.

Does it get warmer or colder underground?

The soil a couple feet down still feels last summer's warmth during winter. It's not as hot as it was at the surface last summer, but it's warmer than the soil above it. The temperature varies downward as a decaying wave - last winter's cold, then last summer's heat. But the deeper we dig, the less history survives.

How hot is it 1 mile underground?

Geologists calculate that, for every mile you dig beneath the Earth's surface, the temperature rises 15º F and the pressure increases simultaneously at a rate of about 7,300 pounds per square inch.

What is the temperature 20 feet underground?

“The temperature of the Earth down 20 or 30 feet is a relatively constant number year-round, somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees” F, says John Kelly, the COO of the Geothermal Exchange Organization, a nonprofit trade organization in Washington, D.C., that lobbies for wider adoption of the technology.

Why is it hotter below sea level?

Typically, the lower the elevation, the higher the surface air pressure, and the higher the temperatures. Said in another way, with higher pressure, there are more air molecules bumping into each other and the ground, allowing for more heat to transfer between the ground and the air just above it.

Is water colder at the bottom of a lake?

Colder than 4° Celsius (39° Fahrenheit), water begins expanding and becomes less dense as it gets colder. As a result, close to freezing, colder water floats to the top and the warmer water sinks to the bottom.

Why is shallow water warm?

Commonly surface water is warmer than deep water because the Sun heats it.

How does temperature change with depth in a lake?

In a thermocline, the temperature decreases rapidly with small increases in depth. This phenomenon linking temperature change with depth is called temperature stratification.

How cold is the ocean at 1000 feet?

The thermocline varies in thickness from about 1,000 feet to 3,000 feet. Below this point water cools more slowly. At areas like the Mariana Trench (or the Marianas Trench; both spellings are commonly found) the water temperature ranges from 34-39 degrees F (1-4 degrees C).

How cold was the water when the Titanic sank?

The temperature of the water was -2.2 degrees Celsius when Titanic was sinking.

What is the temperature of the ocean at different depths?

The deep ocean is not well mixed. The deep ocean is made up of horizontal layers of equal density. Much of this deep ocean water is between 0-3 degrees Celsius (32-37.5 degrees Fahrenheit)! It's really, really cold down there!

Water Temperature Difference with Depth | Physics Forums

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately none of them really address my question. Considering that the take-off point is at the top of the geyser, and on occasion while having a shower the water will become cold, (150l tank) indicating that within possibly 20 to 30l of water the temperature variation can be quite dramatic, obviously the whole 150l has not been heated.

Lake Temperature. Do you measure and how? - Boating Forum

Re: Lake Temperature. Do you measure and how? I have a built in water temperature sensor on my Eagle depth finder. Another thing that may have come into play on why you didn't catch anything is the type of lure or bait that you were using and the weather if it was windy or not.

Water Temperatures at Various Depths in the Ocean - Plotly

Jesseteer's interactive graph and data of "Water Temperatures at Various Depths in the Ocean" is a scatter chart, showing Col2; with Temperature (Degrees Celsius) in the x-axis and Water Depth (m) in the y-axis..

General Bass Fishing Forum - Temperature And Depth

I thought this was pretty interesting. I always knew temperature changed as water depth increased but I never knew how much. This is a graph of a temperature reading on Smith Mountain Lake. For those that don't know it's a deep mountain lake in Virginia that is usually very clear.

Why do you go deeper on land?

Going deeper on land puts you closer to the source of heat at the center, with an unobstructed pathe of the heat from the center towards your hole.

Why does the ocean get colder?

The center of the Earth heats the Earth so when you go deeper it gets hoter. The ocean is on the serface of the Earth and is heated by the sun so the further down you go the colder it get. The water does a good job of aborsing heat so the more water you go throgh to colder. But the heat heat held by the water and the fact that ice flots makes it harder for the water tempture to drop below freezing. Then you can run to volcanic eruptions under the water and around then it can get very hot. Some of these are very deep so while in general it gets colder when you go deeper it doesn't always work that way.

Why does heat get colder and colder?

So the further you move away from the heat source the more heat will have been absorbed and since that heat doesn’t get passed around easily it gets colder and colder.

How is the Earth's interior heated?

The earth's interior is warmed by radiogenic heat from the decay of heavy isotopes . . .

What is the deepest point in the ocean?

The deepest point in all the world ocean is the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean. It was visited twice by manned submersibles; once in 1960 and again in 2012. It has also been visited several times by unmanned vehicles.

Why does the heat gradient in the oceans decrease with depth?

The heat gradient in the oceans decreases with depth because cold water is denser and so it flows downward beneath warmer water.

What is the maximum density of water?

The water reach maximum density at 4 grad C. So the cold, water sink, the warmer AND coldest rise.

Why does the temperature of ocean water vary?

The temperature of ocean water varies by location – both in terms of latitude and depth, due to variations in solar radiation and the physical properties of water.

How does the temperature of the ocean affect the ocean?

This results in less warming of the water. Therefore, the deep ocean (below about 200 meters depth) is cold, with an average temperature of only 4°C (39°F). Cold water is also more dense, and as a result heavier, than warm water. Colder water sinks below the warm water at the surface, which contributes to the coldness of the deep ocean. The vertical structure in the ocean created by temperature differences has a large impact on how life is distributed in the ocean.

How deep is the ocean in Océano Profundo?

Virgin Islands expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, we dove to a depth of 5,000 meters (16,405 feet) on Mona Seamount, where the average ocean water temperature was 2.2°C (36°F).

What is the temperature of the ocean at high latitudes?

These variations in solar energy mean that the ocean surface can vary in temperature from a warm 30°C (86°F) in the tropics to a very cold -2°C (28°F) near the poles.

Why does the Earth's surface receive less sunlight?

Because the Earth is round, the angle of the surface relative to the incoming radiation differs with latitude. At low latitudes, near the equator, direct overhead sunlight received all year warms surface waters. At high latitudes, ocean waters receive less sunlight – the poles receive only 40 percent of the heat that the equator does.

Is the deep ocean cold?

Therefore, the deep ocean (below about 200 meters depth) is cold, with an average temperature of only 4°C (39°F). Cold water is also more dense, and as a result heavier, than warm water. Colder water sinks below the warm water at the surface, which contributes to the coldness of the deep ocean.

Significance of water temperature

Temperature exerts a major influence on biological activity and growth. Temperature governs the kinds of organisms that can live in rivers and lakes. Fish, insects, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and other aquatic species all have a preferred temperature range.

Seasonal changes in lakes and reservoirs

Temperature is also important in lakes and reservoirs. It is related to the dissolved-oxygen concentration in water, which is very important to all aquatic life. Many lakes experience a "turning" of its water layers when the seasons change. In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers.

Temperature Effects of Dam Operations

I'm sure fish have been living in the McKenzie River in Oregon for many thousands of years—long before many people lived there and definitely before the Cougar Dam was built. For eons, fish adapted to live and reproduce in a river having certain environmental characteristics that would not change quickly.

Impoundments can alter natural temperature patters of a river

This chart compares a year's temperature pattern for monitoring sites on the South Fork McKenzie River upstream and downstream of Cougar Dam. The intent is to show how, due to certain construction aspects of the dam, that seasonal temperature patterns below the dam were severely altered after the dam became operational.

Power plants must cool their used water

Certain industries have to be very concerned with water temperature. The best example of this is the thermoelectric-power industry that produces most of the electricity that the Nation uses. One of the main uses of water in the power industry is to cool the power-producing equipment.

Is the flu we get vaccinated for today just a variant of the 1918 Influenza?

I know the there is basically a different strain of the flu virus every year, which is why there is a new flu shot every year. Is this the result of the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic?

Where does the CO2 absorbed by trees end up?

What is the final destination of the CO2 captured by trees? Their bodies? If that, is it released back into the atmosphere if the woods happen to burn down?

Can the coronavirus mutate to be LESS transmissible ?

It seems like with every variant it gets more transmissible, is it possible to go the other way around ?

Are there short-term, long-term, and working attention spans the way there are with memory?

e.g. Is someone with ADHD likely to have more challenges with long-term goals due to distraction, or does it only affect day-to-day tasks?

Would radioactive antimatter have anti-radiation?

Since we're able to make antimatter of various elements, if we made antimatter of a radioactive element, how would what it radiates differ from normal radioactive material?

What is the heat loop on the other side of the house?

One is the heat loop on one side of the house and the second could be the cool loop on the other side of the house. In the winter, cool the ground down with outside air. this should freeze the ground in the cold loop. In the summer, use the cool frozen loop to connect to your house instead of the outside air.

Can you blow hot air through a solar collector?

You could even have a solar powered fan blow hot air through a solar collector then underground. In the winter, close the outside connection and hook it up to blow through a closed loop that draws the stored heat from the ground to your basement all winter.

Does spring water get colder?

Spring water comes out colder from being underground. But if you get deeper the temperature goes up. At what depth does the underground stop getting colder and begins getting warmer?

Is ground water colder in winter?

This will be colder than surface temps in summer, but warmer in winter. There is an an additional effect if your rainfall isn't evenly distributed over the course of the year, as percolating rainfall will be initially warmed by warm soil temps in summer. As an example, in central Alberta shallow well water temps run about 10 C, while our average temp for the year is around 4-5 C

Why does water keep getting colder as you go down?

Water is most dense at around 4oC (colder than that, it starts expanding again, which is why ice floats), so the massive pressure of the depths of the ocean forces it to stay at around 4oC.

How does the inner Earth get heated?

The inner earth is heated by intense reactions that are strongest at the earth's core, so the further toward the surface you get, the more the crust cools .

What makes heat transfer so slow?

In most places, there is a thick layer of rock between the ocean bottom and the Earth's mantle. This is a blanket that makes heat transfer very slow.

Which oceans cool off?

So the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean and around Antarctica cool off until they are right temperature so sink down to the lower layers, and then those lowers layer of the ocean spread throughout the world, taking the cold with them.

Does water convect or insulate?

Water convects and keeps the deep ocean in thermal communion with the polar surfaces, while rock does not convect and insulates it from the hot interior.

Why does the top of a lake feel warmer?

Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface.

What happens when the surface water turns to the bottom of a lake?

When this happens, the surface water becomes more dense than the deeper water with a more constant year-round temperature (which is now warmer than the surface), and the lake "turns", when the colder surface water sinks to the lake bottom.

Why is temperature important in lakes?

Temperature is also important in lakes and reservoirs. It is related to the dissolved-oxygen concentration in water, which is very important to all aquatic life. Many lakes experience a "turning" of its water layers when the seasons change. In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers.

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1.Lake water temperatures vary both with depth and time …

Url:https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/lake-water-temperatures-vary-both-depth-and-time-year

34 hours ago Water gets colder with depth because cold, salty ocean water sinks to the bottom of the ocean basins below the less dense warmer water near the surface. While this geothermal energy is transferred to ocean water along the seafloor, the effect is …

2.In extreme depths, why does it get colder the deeper you …

Url:https://www.quora.com/In-extreme-depths-why-does-it-get-colder-the-deeper-you-descend-in-the-ocean-but-warmer-the-deeper-you-descend-in-a-cave

23 hours ago Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface. But, in winter some lake surfaces can get very cold. When this happens, the surface water becomes more dense than the deeper water with a more constant year-round temperature (which is now warmer than the surface), and the lake "turns", when the colder surface water sinks to the lake bottom.

3.How does the temperature of ocean water vary?

Url:https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/temp-vary.html

13 hours ago In the ocean, solar energy is reflected in the upper surface or rapidly absorbed with depth, meaning that the deeper into the ocean you descend, the less sunlight there is. This results in less warming of the water. Therefore, the deep ocean (below about 200 meters depth) is cold, with an average temperature of only 4°C (39°F).

4.Temperature and Water | U.S. Geological Survey

Url:https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/temperature-and-water

21 hours ago  · In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers. You've probably noticed this when swimming in a lake in summer - your shoulders feel like they're in a warm bath while your feet are chilled. Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface. But, in winter some lake surfaces can get very cold.

5.How is it that when you swim in a lake, the deeper you go …

Url:https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/lgj3o/how_is_it_that_when_you_swim_in_a_lake_the_deeper/

22 hours ago In summer, the uppermost water is warm because it's receiving light from the sun and heat from the atmosphere. As you go deeper, less light and heat are able to penetrate the water. The depth of a lake does not determine how likely it is to freeze over.

6.At what depth does the underground begin to warm up?

Url:https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/14397/at-what-depth-does-the-underground-begin-to-warm-up

25 hours ago The temperature would stabilize to a steady temperature when you go down 15 ft or so. The point where it gets significantly warmer is probably much deeper than you want to go. A better system would probably be to bury two separate loops that are 6 or 8 ft deep.

7.ELI5: Why is it that the deeper you go down in an ocean, …

Url:https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/3ai5f5/eli5_why_is_it_that_the_deeper_you_go_down_in_an/

22 hours ago The ocean water is primarily heated by sunlight on the surface, so deeper water is farther from its heat source. The inner earth is heated by intense reactions that are strongest at the earth's core, so the further toward the surface you get, the more the crust cools.

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