Thermodynamics and Equation of State of Seawater

Chair: Trevor McDougall (Australia)

Sponsors: SCOR, U.S. National Science Foundation

Date Approved: September 2005

Terms of Reference

• To examine the results of recent research in ocean thermodynamics with a view to recommending a change to the internationally recommended algorithms for evaluating density and related quantities (including enthalpy, entropy and potential temperature). Such recommendations would take into account the reformulation of the International Temperature Scale (ITS-90).
• To examine the most accurate recent knowledge of the freezing temperature of seawater, the calculation of dissolved oxygen, and the behaviour of seawater at high salinity.
• To examine the feasibility of using simple functions of three-dimensional space to take account of the spatially varying concentrations of alkalinity, total carbon dioxide, calcium and silica place on the determination of density in the ocean.
• To extend these concepts to a wider range of physical/chemical issues of relevance to the internal working of the ocean and of its interaction with the atmosphere and to present and potential future observational techniques.
• To write a set of related recommendations on the above topics in the form of a report to SCOR/IAPSO and a review or series of reviews to be published in the scientific literature.