About Rob Grafton Expertise I can offer help up to UK degree level and have access to the national oceanographic library in Southampton. My speciality areas are marine biology ecology and physiology although I have a good understanding of chemical oceanography and physical Oceanography.
Experience I studied and am continuing my studies of M MarBiol at the university of Southampton
Organizations University of Southampton (uk)
National Oceanography Centre Southampton (uk)
JMBUK member
Expert: Rob Grafton Date: 1/10/2008 Subject: Oceanography
Question Dear Rob,
My question is a bit morbid and off-the-wall but I have been wondering about it for quite some time. Both my parents are deceased, were cremated and had their ashes scattered at sea, off the East coast of Florida. My question is, how long would it take for the ashes to become equally distributed throughout the world ocean (I realize it would be a very very dilute solution as it is a small amount of ashes in a large amount of ocean and could take millions of years). Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.
Answer The time it takes for the whole ocean to mix itself by the forces of the thermohaline currents (gulf stream etc.) is about 1000yrs depending upon the numbers used in calculations and the error values, not quite the millions of years you were expecting. Although it will never be truly mixed, as near estuaries and the poles where there is freshwater input it would be more dilute.
However for total homogenic mixing you are probably close to 100s of thousands of years, even now the salt that many people think is the same throuought the ocean is not and is significantly concentrated in some areas compared to others.
