Does ocean salinity vary with temperature?
Sea Surface Salinity The salinity of the ocean also varies from place to place, because evaporation varies based on the sea surface temperature and wind, rivers and rain storms inject fresh water into the ocean, and melting or freezing sea ice affects the salinity of polar waters.
How does temperature and salinity drive ocean circulation?
Winds drive ocean currents in the upper 100 meters of the ocean’s surface. However, ocean currents also flow thousands of meters below the surface. These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline).
How does temperature, salinity and depth affect the density of water?
Salinity, temperature and depth all affect the density of seawater. The ocean has a complex circulation system called the Global Ocean Conveyor. It moves water, heat, salt and nutrients around the world. Surface currents in the top 400 m are driven mainly by wind. Deeper currents are driven by changes in water density.
How are temperature and salinity related to ocean circulation?
1. Salinity, along with temperature, determines the density of seawater, and hence its vertical flow patterns in thermohalinecirculation. 2. Salinity records the physical processes affecting a water mass when it was last at the surface. a. precipitation/evaporation – salts excluded from vapor b. freezing/thawing – salts excluded from ice 3.
How are winds and salinity related to ocean currents?
Winds drive ocean currents in the upper 100 meters of the ocean’s surface. However, ocean currents also flow thousands of meters below the surface. These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature ( thermo) and salinity ( haline ). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
How does the density of water affect the circulation of the ocean?
Water density is affected by the temperature, salinity (saltiness), and depth of the water. The colder and saltier the ocean water, the denser it is. The greater the density differences between different layers in the water column, the greater the mixing and circulation.