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Temperature and Salinity of Sea Water

Salinity is a measure of how much salt there is in water. Salinity and temperature affect the density of sea water.

Temperature

  • The sea water around the Antarctica is always very cold. It can be as cold as -2°C.
  • The sea water around the equator can be very warm. It can be as warm as 36°C.

The average temperature of the sea is about 2°C. The average surface temperature is about 17°C.

Cold water is more dense than warm water

Cold water is heavier than warm water and sinks below warm water.

Watch this video demonstrationExternal link that shows cold water sinking below warm water.

Salinity

Salinity is a measure of how much salt there is in water. Ocean water has a salinity of about 3.5% salt. One litre of seawater contains 35 grams of salt - that is about six teaspoons.

Salt water is more dense than fresh water

Salt water has a greater mass than fresh water. That mass would be the salt, which makes the mass of water greater, without adding much to its volume. 

Seawater is more dense than fresh water so it sinks below freshwater. This means that when rivers flow out into the sea the river freshwater floats on top of the sea water. However when the wind blows and the sea becomes rough, the two waters become all mixed up.

What happens when seawater freezes?

The winters in the Arctic and the Antarctic are very cold. The surface of these waters can become so cold that they freeze.

When seawater freezes to form sea ice, salt is squeezed out and moves down into the water. 

  • The cold, salty water sinks to form an ocean current that moves deep underwater toward the equator. 
  • The surface water that replaces the sinking water forms an ocean current that moves from the equator toward the Arctic and Antarctic.

So, ocean currents are formed because dense water (cold and salty) sinks.

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Warm water is less dense than cold water so rises above cold water as seen in this photo. Image: George Mehler and Jared Hottenstein.

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The ocean can be divided into three layers based on temperature: A mixed relatively warm layer, a thermocline where water cools with depth and a cold deep water layer. Image: University of Waikato www.sciencelearn.org.nz

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Sea water has about 3.5% salt making it denser than fresh water. Image: Public Domain.

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Antarctic sea ice is made up of mostly fresh water. The salt has been squeezed out, and sinks into the sea below. How thick do you think the sea ice in this photo is? Image LEARNZ.

Create your own demonstration to show that cold, salty water sinks.

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