Salinity

Salinity is the concentration of dissolved salts in water. It affects water’s density, freezing point, and suitability for organisms and human uses.

Practical salinity scale: A scale that represents seawater salinity using electrical conductivity relative to a standard. It underlies the widely used practical salinity value measured by conductivity.
Dissolution: The process by which a substance disperses into a solvent to form a solution. Salinity arises when salts dissolve and separate into ions in water.
Oceanography: The scientific study of the physical, chemical, biological, and geological features of the ocean. Oceanographers use salinity to trace water masses and monitor circulation.
Halocline: A water layer in which salinity changes rapidly with depth. A strong salinity gradient can separate water layers and limit vertical mixing.
Freshwater: Water with a low concentration of dissolved salts, generally far below seawater. It marks the low-salinity end of the common aquatic gradient.
Electrical conductivity: A measure of how readily a material conducts electric current. Dissolved ions carry current, allowing conductivity instruments to estimate salinity.
Electrolyte: A substance that forms electrically charged ions when dissolved in a solvent. Dissolved electrolytes provide the ions that contribute to salinity and conductivity.
Estuary: A coastal area where river freshwater mixes with seawater. Its shifting salinity shapes habitats and reveals the balance of river flow and tides.
Thermohaline circulation: Large-scale ocean circulation driven by differences in water density associated with temperature and salinity. Salinity contributes to the density contrasts that help drive deep-ocean circulation.
Seawater: Water from the sea containing dissolved salts and other constituents. Its characteristic salt mixture is the main reference case for natural salinity.

Linked from 44 pages