Marine Parameter Value Ranges:
For educational purposes, and possibly as a source of "first guess" information, the following very simplified global range table is offered. Particularly for the first seven parameters listed below, the user should consult the depth-specific tables of the US NODC (see links below). All values quoted for the first seven parameters are taken from the US NODC tables, unless otherwise cited. Other values are gross generalizations from the open literature and/or published range tables. The upper end of ranges for some coastal areas or areas strongly affected by upwelling, river input, etc. can be much higher.
| Parameter/Variable | Units | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature, bulk | C |
-3 (Atlantic) -3 (Pacific) -1.5 (Indian) 0 (Mediterranean) 0 (Black Sea) -2 (Baltic) -3 (Persian Gulf) 10 (Red Sea) -1.5 (Sulu Sea) -3 (Arctic Area) -3 (Southern Sea) |
35 (Atlantic) 35 (Pacific 35 (Indian) 34 (Mediterranean) 30 (Black Sea) 25 (Baltic) 35 (Persian Gulf) 35 (Red Sea) 35 (Sulu Sea) 20 (Arctic Area) 15 (Southern Sea) |
|
| Temperature, sea surface | C | -2 from US NASA | 45 from US NASA | |
| Salinity (not including near-shore and near-ice
values of zero) |
20 (Atlantic) 25 (Pacific) 26 (Indian) 12 (Mediterranean) 10 (Black Sea) 1 (Baltic) 20 (Persian Gulf) 20 (Red Sea) 20 (Sulu Sea) 26 (Arctic Area) 26 (Southern Ocean) |
40 (Atlantic) 40 (Pacific) 40 (Indian) 40 (Mediterranean) 40 (Black Sea) 35 (Baltic) 42 (Persian Gulf) 44 (Red Sea) 40 (Sulu Sea) 40 (Arctic Area) 40 (Southern Ocean) |
||
| Oxygen | ml/dm3 |
0.01 |
12 |
|
| Phosphate | umol/dm3 |
0 (Atlantic) 0 (Pacific) 0 (Indian) 0.2 (Southern Ocean) 0 (Arctic Ocean) |
3.6 (Atlantic) 3.8 (Pacific) 3.8 (Indian) 3.2 (Southern Ocean) 3.8 (Arctic Ocean) |
|
| Nitrate | umol/dm3 |
0.01 (Atlantic) 0.01 (Pacific) 0.01 (Indian) 0.01 (Southern Ocean) 0.01 (Arctic Ocean) |
48 (Atlantic) 56 (Pacific) 54 (Indian) 50 (Southern Ocean) 54 (Arctic Ocean) |
|
| Silicate | umol/dm3 |
0 (Atlantic) 0 (Pacific) 0 (Indian) 0 (Southern Ocean) 0 (Arctic Ocean) |
160 (Atlantic) 200 (Pacific) 180 (Indian) 160 (Southern Ocean) 120 (Arctic Ocean) |
|
| Nitrite | umol/dm3 | Under study |
Under study |
|
| pH | 7.0 |
9.1 |
||
| Chlorophyll | ug/dm3 or mg/m3 | 0 from US NASA | 64 from US NASA | |
| Population | 0 | 150 M | ||
| Population density | persons/km2 | 1 | 300 | |
| Wind speed (climatologies only) |
m/sec | 0 |
200 |
|
| Precipitation, annual | mm | 0 |
3000 |
|
| Temperature, air | C | 0 |
50 |
|
| Humidity, relative | % | 0 |
100 |
|
| Sediment thickness | m | 0 |
15000 |
|
| Diffuse attenuation coefficient (K490) | m-1 | 0 from US NASA | 6.4 from US NASA | |
| Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) | uEinsteins/m2/day | 0 from US NASA |
64 from US NASA |