Saline water

Saline water contains dissolved salts at concentrations above the freshwater range. Seawater and brackish water are examples, differing in salinity and composition.

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Salinity: The concentration of dissolved salts in water or soil. Saline water is classified by its dissolved-salt concentration.
Evaporation: The change of a liquid into vapor from its surface. It removes water while leaving most dissolved salts behind, raising salinity.
Desalination: The removal of dissolved salts and other minerals from water. It converts saline water into water suitable for uses requiring lower salinity.
Seawater: The saline water of the world's oceans and seas. It is the most widespread natural example of saline water.
Dissolution: The process by which a solute disperses in a solvent to form a solution. Salts enter water as dissolved substances rather than as visible grains.
Estuary: A coastal water body where river water mixes with seawater. Its shifting freshwater–seawater mixture creates a salinity gradient.
Reverse osmosis: A membrane process that uses pressure to move water against its osmotic gradient. It is a widely used method for desalinating seawater and brackish water.
Brackish water: Water whose salinity lies between freshwater and seawater. It illustrates saline water at concentrations lower than open-ocean water.
Sodium chloride: The ionic compound NaCl, commonly known as table salt. It is the most abundant dissolved salt in typical seawater.
Osmosis: The movement of solvent across a selectively permeable membrane toward higher solute concentration. Salinity differences drive water movement across cell membranes.