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When evaporation occurs at a rate faster than precipitation, the net result is that salt is left behind and the salinity in the oceans will increase. Of course, new salt is brought into the ocean by rivers and deposition of salts on the sea floor takes salt out of the ocean. As a whole, the salinity of the ocean (total salt everywhere) has not changed for millions of years since these input and removal processes are in balance. The increased "saltiness" created by the imbalance between precipitation and evaporation in certain areas of the ocean (some very large) is balance by areas that are fresher so the whole ocean is not getting saltier.

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Related Questions

A zone in which the ocean's salinity increases rapidly with increasing depth is called?

halocline


Suppose the salinity of surface ocean water is high in a particular place what might you infer about the area's rates of evaporation?

If the salinity of surface ocean water is high in a particular place, it suggests that there is high evaporation rates in that area. As water evaporates, it leaves behind salt, increasing the salinity of the remaining water.


How does evaporation affects salinity?

Evaporation leaves salt behind. So as ocean water decreases, the percentage of salt increases, increasing salinity. As evaporation increases, rainfall also increases, thus it decreasing the salinity of ocean water.


The salinity of the ocean?

You could increase the salinity of the ocean by adding salt or removing water (ie: by evaporation).


What cause surface ocean water to have a higher salt content?

The main reasons for higher salt content in surface ocean water are evaporation and formation of sea ice. As water evaporates, salt is left behind, causing an increase in salinity. In regions where sea ice forms, the salt is expelled, further increasing the salinity of the remaining water.


How do salinity and density related to each other?

Increasing the salinity the density is also increased.


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.


Is your blood as salty as the ocean?

No, human blood is not as salty as the ocean. The salinity of human blood is around 0.9, while the salinity of the ocean is about 3.5.


What does not affect ocean salinity?

Rainfall does not directly affect ocean salinity, as rainwater is freshwater and dilutes the salt content in the ocean. Other factors such as evaporation, ice formation, and river input can influence ocean salinity levels.


The measure of the amount of solids dissolved in ocean water is what?

salinity


Which areas of the ocean have the lowest salinity and why?

The lowest areas of salinity in an ocean are near where fresh water rivers empty into them. This is because the influx of fresh water creates an area of lower salinity compared to the remainder of the ocean.


What is the saltiness of the ocean called?

The saltiness of the ocean is called salinity, which refers to the concentration of dissolved salts in the water.