The temperature dependence of the activation energy of the electrical conductivity of sea water in the temperature range 0°C to 10°C

The activation energy, Ea, of the electrical conductivity of ice is about 10 to 12 kcal/mole [Bradley, 1957] but Ea of solutions of strong electrolytes, such as HCl, KOH, KCl, and NaCl, in liquid water at 10°C are only 3 to 4 kcal/mole. Above 20°C the activation energy for these electrolytes decreases nearly linearly with increasing temperature at a rate of about 0.02 kcal/mole deg. This decrease is due to the thermal destruction of order (H-bonding) in liquid water (see Nemethy and Scheraga [1962] and the reference cited therein, also Glasstone et al. [1941]). More so than the conductivity itself, Ea is a sensitive measure of the degree of order or structure existing in liquid water at a given temperature, pressure, and added electrolyte type and concentration.