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Density and Salinity of water

Terms in this set (14)

Salinity
amount of salt dissolved in seawater that is expressed as ppt or parts per thousand
What causes differences in the salinity of ocean water in different areas?
different minearals and organisms produce/contain different amounts of salt

rain, snow, melting ice, and fresh water from rivers lower the salinity of ocean water. Evaporation and the freezing of surface water increase salinity.
How does the amount of salt dissolved in water affect its density?
the more salt that is dissolved the denser it is. The water with more salt always sank below the water with less salt.
What lowers the salinity of ocean water?
rain, snow, melting ice, and fresh water from rivers
What increases the salinity?
evaporation and the freezing of surface water
in the ocean, where would you expect to find water with the greatest salinity?
bottom of the ocean because it has the greatest density
Would you expect the salinity to be high or low in the ocean off the coast of a hot, dry area? Why?
high because evaporation exceeds preciptation
What is the process with, water, salt, and evaporation and what happens when evaporation exceeds precipitation?
as water evaporates, it leaves salt behind. Also, little rain falls to dilute the water in the area.
what are the 2 types of ocean currents?
density and surface
What are density currents caused by?
water with different salinities and temperature
What are surface currents caused by?
wind
What is the average salinity of ocean water?
35 parts of salt per thousand parts of water
Where does ocean salt come from?
minerals on land which dissolve into water that flows over them into the ocean
Does temperature or salinity have a greater effect on density?
temperature
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