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There are processes that increase salinity of the oceans and factors that decrease salinity.
Evaporation causes the salinity of the ocean to increase. This is the primary process taking fresh water out of the oceans. Fresh water enters the ocean through rain and rivers. Rivers bring in a small amount of new salt and dissolved minerals that remains after evaporation.
Freezing also affects salinity. Near the poles, particularly the antarctic, when ocean ice freezes it eliminate a significant amount of salt from the ice, leaving a saltier and denser brine behind. This denser antarctic brine sinks and initiates a current the flow from the antarctic water northward towards the deeper ocean. This is an important influence on circulation in the southern oceans.
The increase salinity of the oceans is also counteracted by processes in the oceans sediments that remove salt so on the average there has been little change in ocean salinity over the last few billion years.
Note: Ocean salt, as described here, is not merely sodium chloride, but also has a fraction of other dissolved ions. See related questions.
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In the subtropics the saltiest water is generally at the surface, why?
What causes low salinity in the oceans at high latitudes?In subtropical latitudes, high surface evaporation creates high salinity near the sea surface. In subpolar latitudes, high precipitation creates low salinity near the sea surface. As these waters flow into the ocean interior, they create layers of high and low salinity.
What can causes a increase in the density of the ocean water?
the amount of salinity in the water and high temperatures
What causes cold deep currents to in the ocean near the poles?
Sinking of dense, cold water with high salinity :)
Salinity in the ocean is highest in regions where is high and is low?
Salinity in the ocean is highest in regions where evaporation is high and precipitation is low. Density in seawater is determined by both temperature and salinity.
What causes cold deep currents to form in the ocean near the poles?
Sinking of dense, cold water with high salinity :)
Is salinity high on open ocean?
In open ocean evaporation affects the salinity of the oceans, in closed oceans the lack of sunrays cause greater salinity levels.
The salinity of ocean water is due to high concentrations of?
Sodium chloride
Is there a thermocline present in high latitude ocean waters why or why not?
Thermocline is not typically found in high latitudes of ocean waters because of less penetrating heat rays since the sun's energy hits the earth at an angle in the high latitude ocean waters.
Is there a thermocline present in high latitude of ocean waters Why or why not?
Thermocline is not typically found in high latitudes of ocean waters because of less penetrating heat rays since the sun's energy hits the earth at an angle in the high latitude ocean waters.
What type of pattern do deep ocean currents?
Cold and High Salinity k12 question.
Why is ocean ocean water salinity greatly reduced at the mouths of the amazon Congo and Mississippi rivers?
Because of the high discharge of freshwater
What cause surface ocean water to have a higher salt content?
The salinity of ocean water depends on its location, rate of evaporation, amount of precipitation and amount of freshwater added to the ocean.
