THE PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF SEA WATER 



model real 



553 



31 



0.6 kg 



ai r 



sea water 



sedime.r9ts 



true equil ibrium 



average 



Fig. 1. Right, real system: 1 liter of sea water and the corresponding amounts 

 of sediments (0.6 kg) and air (3 liters). Left, model under discussion: the same 

 amounts of the various elements brought to true equilibrium (excepting N2)- 



Neither the laboratory data on chemical equilibria (needed for the 

 model), nor the geochemical data (for the real system) are always 

 as accurate as one might wish. Still, it may be worth while to try 

 this approach. 



Objections to Equilibrium Model 



Perhaps some comments should be made on the approach of the 

 real system to equilibrium. One might object that stirring is not 

 so good as in most laboratory work. However, admitting a rotation 

 period of 1000 years for the ocean, 500 million years give half a 



