Articles | Volume 5, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-5-235-2009
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-5-235-2009
07 Jul 2009
 | 07 Jul 2009

Thermodynamic properties of standard seawater: extensions to high temperatures and pressures

J. Safarov, F. Millero, R. Feistel, A. Heintz, and E. Hassel

Abstract. Measurements of (p, ρ, T) properties of standard seawater with practical salinity S≈35, temperature T=(273.14 to 468.06) K and pressures, p, up to 140 MPa are reported with the reproducibility of the density measurements observed to be in the average percent deviation range Δρ/ρ=±(0.01 to 0.03)%. The measurements are made with a newly constructed vibration-tube densimeter which is calibrated using double-distilled water, methanol and aqueous NaCl solutions. Based on these and previous measurements, an empirical expression for the density of standard seawater has been developed as a function of pressure and temperature. This equation is used to calculate other volumetric properties including isothermal compressibility, isobaric thermal expansibility, differences in isobaric and isochoric heat capacities, the thermal pressure coefficient, internal pressure and the secant bulk modulus. The results can be used to extend the present equation of state of seawater to higher temperatures for pressure up to 140 MPa.