Salinity of sea surface waters. Why are the Red and Dead Seas the saltiest? What is the saltiest sea in the oceans

The seas are part of the water surface of the Earth - the World Ocean, being its main part. The salt content for each of them is individual, some exceed the salinity of the oceans. In the ranking of the most salty seas there are also water areas washing the Russian coast.

Interest in nature sea \u200b\u200bwater originated from the geographers of the 17th century. The hypotheses expressed at that time converged to the general statement about the original salinity of the ocean since the time of origin, which is due to the dissolution of crystalline salt deposits at the bottom. The theory was also considered that sea water is constantly replenished with salts through fresh water bodies.

Flowing from mountains and highlands, rivers wash salt out of rocks and carry them to the seas and oceans. This theory is usually called traditional.

Over the next centuries, geographers repeatedly returned to the study of this issue. As a result, today there is modern theorywhy sea water is salty. It is assumed that her primary form - gas condensate, a consequence of the eruptions of numerous volcanoes.

Belching acid rain falling on earth surface, called chemical reaction with mineral formations, which resulted in salt solutions. In modern oceanography, both postulates are considered to be correct.

How sea salinity is measured

The salinity, denoted by the S symbol, is measured in ppm “‰” and in practical salinity units (PES). The composition of sea water is very complex, in addition to the predominant degree of chlorine and sodium, it contains even more than a dozen chemical elements.

In modern oceanography, salinity is calculated from the composition of one component taken or from the electrical conductivity of a saline solution, in this case, sea water.

For one component, salinity is established by means of the reaction of interaction of silver and chlorine ions by repeated comparison. After making measurements of chlorine, calculations are made according to the empirical formula (determined from experimental data): S "‰" \u003d 1.8065 * chlorine content "‰".

The International Union Experts of oceanography in 1978 approved the Scale of practical salinity - SHPS-78 (PSS-78). For its development, the established standard of sea water was used - a solution of potassium chloride at a certain temperature (15 ° C) and a pressure of 1 atmosphere.

The studied samples of natural seawater are compared in terms of electrical conductivity with a standard, from the obtained ratio, the salinity is calculated according to the developed empirical formula. The average salt level in the oceans and seas is from 3.47% (3.4 to 3.6), which is approximately 34-36 g / l of seawater.

Top 10 saltiest seas in the world

All seas, as separate parts, differ from the World Ocean and among themselves in climatic regime, flora, fauna and the composition of sea water. According to the degree of salt content, a certain rating of the saltiest seas on Earth is built.

The most salty sea (Russia has its own top sea salinity) in the world is the Red Sea, which is the inner part of the Indian Ocean. And the first place in low salinity is occupied by the Baltic Sea. The ten most salty seas are presented below.

White Sea

The cold northern sea, called the White Sea for being covered with ice and snow for most of the year, belongs to slightly saline seas, it completes the ten most salty seas in the world. Located in the western part of Russia, on its northern outskirts. Its salinity index in the upper waters (up to 100 m depth) is lower than the oceanic one - only 26 ‰, in depth it reaches 31 ‰.

The White Sea is part of the seas of the Arctic Ocean, the coastline has a winding shape. It has a small size with an area of \u200b\u200b90.1 thousand km², its depth ranges from 67 m (average) to 343 m.

The White Sea crashes into the continent, continuing the Barents Sea. The reduced salinity of the upper layer of the White Sea basin is explained by the large influx of fresh water from large rivers flowing in, shallower tributaries and very small streams.

The fauna of the White Sea corresponds to a subpolar climate (boreal), but due to low salinity it is not so numerous. IN surface watersthe northern commercial fish species live in these layers. In the lower layer of the sea, where it is saltier and more stable cold water, arctic life forms prevail.

Underwater vegetation - more than 190 species of various algae. Among them are the popular brown and red species. Get to To the White Sea it is possible by rail from Moscow to Arkhangelsk. Travel time is approximately 20 hours, departure from the Yaroslavsky railway station. The flight on this route by air will take about 1.5 hours.

Chukchi sea

The marginal sea of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean, the easternmost in Russia, the salinity of which is close to the mean ocean level in maximum value. Salinity fluctuations from 24 to 33 ‰ are due to seasonal changes and depth - in winter period and in the bottom layer, mineralization increases.

Melting of ice in spring and summer, the influx of fresh water lowers the salt content in the upper water column.

The water area of \u200b\u200bthe Chukchi Sea washes the shores of Chukotka and borders the East Siberian Sea on the western side. From the east it goes to the shelves of Alaska and is adjacent to the Beaufort Sea. In the southern part, it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Bering Strait. The north side faces the ocean. The sea is shallow, depth parameters: average - 45 m, maximum - 1256 m.

The coastline is little meandering, along the coast there are mountain ranges. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe Chukchi Sea is about 590 km². Cold climate, scarcity sunlight and low water temperatures affect the nature of the Chukchi Basin, therefore, the flora and fauna are mainly represented by Arctic species and individuals.

The upper layers of the sea are inhabited plant plankton, in the lower water column - algae common to northern waters. The depths abound in fish - navaga, polar cod, char. Various North Sea molluscs and echinoderms, jellyfish, and in the Bering Strait region and Pacific species of underwater inhabitants.

Among the mammals on the protected islands, there are many polar bears, walrus rookeries, and seals. A lot of waterfowl nest on the shores in summer. A population of whales lives in the Chukchi waters.

You can get to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug only by plane; there are flights to Anadyr and Pevek. From Moscow to the "capital" of Chukotka - Anadyr, the flight will last approximately 8 hours, to the northernmost city of Russia - Pevek, it takes a little longer to fly.

Laptev sea

Another marginal sea of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean, the water area of \u200b\u200bwhich is covered with ice for most of the year. The area of \u200b\u200bthis harsh sea is 672,000 km², the maximum depth from the northern side, turning into the ocean, reaches 3385 m. The Laptev Sea is located on Russian territory.

It is bounded from the southern side by the northern Siberian coast, from the west - by the Taimyr Peninsula and the Severnaya Zemlya islands, in the east - by the Novosibirsk Islands. The salinity of the Laptev Sea is from 15 to 28 ‰, refers to slightly salted seas.

The lowest salt content in the surface layers and in river mouths, the deeper, the higher the salinity of sea water. On the 1300 km long coast, most of the sea is a shelf with an average depth of 50 meters. The coastline is teeming with coves and bays. Abundant rivers flowing into the sea: Lena, Khatanga. The largest port, Tiksi, is located east of the Lena estuary.

Due to the harsh climate, vegetation and animal world the edges are not too rich. Among the underwater inhabitants, diatoms, some species of shelf algae and planktonic organisms, a small number of invertebrates, molluscs and starfish. Among the fish, there are also marine fines (capelin, smelt, navaga) and freshwater entering from rivers.

Beluga whales and whales live far from the coast. The islands are inhabited by polar bears, walruses and seals. The only way to travel to the Laptev Sea, as well as to other seas of the Arctic Ocean, is by plane. From Moscow to Tiksi airport, the flight time depends on the number of transfers along the route: the minimum is 13 hours, the maximum is 31 hours.

Barencevo sea

The Barents Sea, washing the Russian and Norwegian shores, is one of the saltiest seas. Its salinity indicator ranges from 30 to 35 ‰. A large amount of fresh water is brought by the Indiga and Pechora rivers.

The sea has an average depth of more than 200 m, and the maximum depth is 600 m. It is located on a huge continental shoal with an area of \u200b\u200babout 1,500 thousand km², the dividing line runs along the northern European coast, the polar archipelagos of Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land, and along the western coast of Novaya Zemlya.

The flora and fauna of the Barents Sea are similar to other marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean, but they are more diverse and numerous. In addition to arctic algae and benthic inhabitants, boreal species are widespread. In the second half of the XX century, artificially introduced into the habitat of the Barents Sea kamchatka crab.

One of the largest ports in Russia, Murmansk, is located in the Barents Sea. Other ports are no less strategically important - Naryan-Mar and the polar Varandey. By air, a direct flight to Murmansk from Moscow will take approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, with a transfer in St. Petersburg - 4-5 hours longer.

Unlike other northern seas, the Barents Sea can be reached by rail: from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities to Murmansk. Naryan-Mar can only be reached by plane.

Japanese Sea

The saltiest sea in Russia is the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. It is among the first in the world in terms of salt saturation. Its maximum content in water is about 35 ‰. The marginal sea of \u200b\u200bthe Pacific Ocean covers an area of \u200b\u200b1,062 thousand km ² between Asia, the Korean Peninsula, Sakhalin and the Japanese islands. The maximum measured depth is 3742 m, the average depth is about 1600 m.

The saltiest sea in Russia, its indicators equal about 35 ‰.

The Eastern Sea of \u200b\u200bRussia is a collection of sea basins and straits between numerous islands. The underwater world of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan is represented by a rich mixture of southern and northern vegetation and animal organisms.

Bright representatives depths that boggle the imagination:

various ascidians;
similar to exotic flowers of anemones;
trepangs and shrimps;
sea \u200b\u200burchins and starfish;
jellyfish;
mussels and oysters.

Large squids and octopuses, and Kamchatka crab live here. In the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, you can observe several species of whales, dolphins and seals. Those wishing to get to the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan can get to Vladivostok. The flight from Moscow will take about 10 hours on average. The train will cover the distance from Moscow to Vladivostok in almost 7 days.

Ionian sea

The Ionian Sea washes the mountainous shores of the Balkan Peninsula, southern part The Apennine Peninsula, Sicily and the west coast of Crete. It is part of the Mediterranean Sea, from the neighboring Adriatic Sea, separated by a strait.

In terms of the salinity of sea water, the Ionian Sea is one of the five most salty seas. The salt content of the Ionian Sea is 38 ‰. In addition, it is the deepest in the Mediterranean Sea, the maximum depth is 5121 m. The area of \u200b\u200bthe water area is 169,000 km², the water is clean, transparent, and blue.

The diversity of flora and fauna in the Ionian Sea is ensured by ecology and high water temperatures - min t ° does not fall below 14 ° C in winter time... Of large individuals, bottlenose dolphins, tuna, sharks live in the waters. Algae of various types predominate among plants. Cephalopods reproduce well in the Ionian Sea: there is a wide variety of them, and edible mollusks.

The resorts of the Ionian coast are located in the Italian region of Calabria, the island of Sicily, Albania, on the islands of Crete (western part) and Corfu, where you can only fly from Russia. Flights to the Mediterranean are organized from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

the Aegean sea

The Aegean Sea washes the coast of Turkey and Greece, and is another component of the Mediterranean. Half of its outskirts are fenced off by land: from the east by Turkey, from the west by the Balkan coast, in the north by the island of Lemnos and the Chalkidiki peninsula. The outlet to the Mediterranean basin is blocked by many different-sized islands.

There are almost 2000 islands in the Aegean Sea. In the northeast is the Dardanelles Strait, which separates it from the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara.

The salinity of the ancient water area is 38.5 ‰, which is above the average oceanic level. The total area is 179,000 km², the maximum depth is up to 2500 m, the calculated average depth is 1000 m. Bottom Aegean very picturesque, covered with white sand, on which grows bright emerald grass. The water is clear, with an azure tint.

The relief is quaint with numerous naturally created grottoes. The main species of flora and fauna are similar to the Ionian Sea, but are not so numerous. Lives in the Aegean Sea a large number of sponges, octopuses, cuttlefish, there are small cat sharks. There are peculiar inhabitants of the depths: clown fish, parrot fish, mollusk - sea saucer.

Getting from Russia to the Turkish resorts on the Aegean coast will not be a problem. Travel agencies offer tours with flights for every taste from different cities. You can easily fly to Greek Athens from St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Mediterranean Sea

Ranked in the list of the largest, most abundant seas in the world, the Mediterranean Sea is classified as the Atlantic Ocean. Its water area covers 2,500,000 km² and serves as a division for Europe, Africa and Asia. The shores are so curved and cut into the water area that the protruding parts of the land delimit it into several marginal seas.

Due to the huge size and multi-level bottom topography, the depth of the Mediterranean Sea ranges from a minimum average of 242 m to a maximum depth of 5121 m.

In the ranking of the saltiest seas, the Mediterranean Sea is in 3rd place. Its salinity level is set at 39.5 ‰. On the Atlantic side, sea water is less saline due to the mixing of waters through the Strait of Gibraltar. The most big riverflowing into the Mediterranean basin from the south is the Nile.

The flora and fauna are characterized by a variety of species with a relatively small number of inhabitants. The poverty of plankton limits the existence of larger animals due to lack of nutrition. Among the animal inhabitants there are white-bellied seals, sea \u200b\u200bturtles, stingrays. A variety of fish species - 550 species.

An important place is occupied by commercial, edible mollusks and invertebrates. It is easier and faster to get to all the seas of the Mediterranean basin by plane from Russia. But there is still the possibility of moving by train from Moscow with 2 transfers through Minsk or Warsaw. Travel time will take 4-5 days.

Red sea

The Red Sea is ranked 2nd in the top 10 in salinity, taking into account the Dead Sea. Its salt content in seawater is 40-40.5 ‰, fluctuations are from 38 to 42 ‰. Such elevated level salinity is explained by the absence of freshwater rivers flowing into it. It divides the African continent from Saudi Arabia on the eastern side, and washes the coasts of Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Israel.

The most salty sea, in which you cannot drown (as in the Russian Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan), covers an area of \u200b\u200b438,000 km². Its maximum depth reaches more than 2000 m. The bottom relief is not uniform, there are many sharp drops. This sea is also the warmest in the world, even in winter the water temperature does not drop below + 20 ° C.

The Red Sea is surprising because with such high salinity it contains a huge number of species of underwater inhabitants. Ichthyologists have described 1.5 thousand fish and invertebrates, about 300 species of various corals. The mysteries of the Red Sea have puzzled scientists all over the world to this day, all the depths have not been fully explored.

The Red Sea attracts a lot of tourists. The airports to which there are direct flights from Russia are located in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Domestic airlines or buses will take you directly to the coast.

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is only called the sea, in reality it is a closed lake. In terms of salinity - 270 ‰, it ranks 1st in the world and exceeds the average oceanic level by 8.6 times. In addition to salts, the water contains a unique amount of minerals, which has a beneficial healing effect on health.

Located between Palestine, Jordan and Israel. There is a tributary - the Jordan River. The dimensions of the Dead Sea are 67 km long and 18 km wide. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 377 m, it is considered the deepest lake in the world.

The highest concentration of salinity prevents any life from developing in the Dead Sea. At the same time, the smallest microorganisms in the water of the lake were still found.

Masses of people rush to the Dead Sea who want to improve their health. There is a bus service from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to the lake. Also, one-day excursions to the Dead Sea are organized from any Israeli city.

Top 5 saltiest seas in Russia

Curious details about his underwater world:

some individuals in cold weather migrate from the north to the southern waters;
small jellyfish live in underwater thickets, contact with which causes paralysis, and a repeated bite can be fatal;
12 species of sharks are found in the depths.

The saltiest sea in Russia after the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan is the Barents Sea. Its salinity is determined at 32-35 ‰.

Facts for fun lovers:

the entire body of water in the Barents Sea is located beyond the Arctic Circle;
in April, 75% of its area is occupied by floating icebergs;
in 4 years all sea waters are being renewed.

The Bering Sea, with a salinity level of 28-33.5%, ranks third in Russia.

Interesting details about him:

considered the largest sea in Russia;
the northern outskirts of its water area are already covered with ice at the very beginning of autumn, and thaw only at the end of May, beginning of June;
The Bering Sea is stretched over 3 climatic zones - arctic, subarctic and temperate.

The list is continued by the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk with a salinity of 25-33 ‰, taking 4th place.

Its attractions:

the glow of water and ice, caused by phosphorescent plankton inhabiting it, was recorded;
almost 120 rivers flow into this sea;
to fish in the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk is the absolute right of Russia.

Interesting facts:

the only sea that washes only the borders of Russia;
in former times this sea was called Studennoye;
the Vikings called the White Sea - the Bay of Serpents, because of the curvature of the coastline.

Top 5 Russian seas in descending order in the table:

Name of the sea	Salinity (‰)	Area (thousand km²)
Japanese	35	1 062
Barents	32-35	1 400
Beringovo	28-33,5	2 000
Okhotsk	25-33	1 583
White	23-30	90

The most salty lakes in Russia, where you can't drown

Russian lakes with a high salt content are not inferior to the Dead Sea in terms of the therapeutic effect on the human body. In many of them, the mineral content is higher. Their salinity is so high that it is impossible to drown in them.

The salty ones are:

Lake Baskunchak located in the Astrakhan region. The area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir is 106 km², the depth reaches 3 m. Saturation with sodium salts (300 g / l) is supplemented by mineral mud used in the treatment various diseases.
Lake Razval - a reservoir formed at the site of a salt quarry by filling with flood waters. Deep lake, in places up to 18-22 m, small size - 0.068 km², located in Sol-Iletsk Orenburg region... The high content of salt (200 g / l) and minerals favors the treatment of many diseases.
Lake Eltonlocated near the Kazakh border, in the Volgograd region, has a second name - the Golden Lake. In terms of salt saturation, it is ahead of the Dead Sea - up to 400 g / l. Filled with a mixture of brine and hydrogen sulphide mud. The area of \u200b\u200bthe lake is 152 km² with a shallow depth of only 1.5 m. Not far from it there is a sanatorium of the same name.

Article design: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about the saltiest seas of Russia

Features of the saltiest sea in Russia - Japanese:

3. Characteristics of the oceanic aquatic environment.

The oceanic environment, that is, sea water, is not just a substance known to us from birth, which is hydrogen oxide H 2 O. Sea water is a solution of a wide variety of substances. Almost all known chemical elements are found in the waters of the World Ocean in the form of various compounds.

Most of all chlorides are dissolved in sea water (88.7%), among which sodium chloride predominates, that is, ordinary table salt NaCl. Sulfates, that is, salts of sulfuric acid, are significantly less in seawater (10.8%). All other substances account for only 0.5% of the total salt composition of sea water.

After sodium salts, magnesium salts are in second place in seawater. This metal is used in the manufacture of light and strong alloys required in mechanical engineering, especially in aircraft construction. Each cubic meter of seawater contains 1.3 kilograms of magnesium. The technology of its extraction from seawater is based on the conversion of its soluble salts into insoluble compounds and their precipitation with lime. The cost of magnesium, obtained directly from sea water, turned out to be significantly lower than the cost of this metal, previously mined from ore materials, in particular, dolomites.

It should be noted that bromine, discovered in 1826 by the French chemist A. Balyar, is not contained in any mineral. Bromine can be obtained only from seawater, where it is contained in a relatively small amount - 65 grams per cubic meter. Bromine is used in medicine as a sedative, as well as in photography and petrochemicals.

Already at the end of the 20th century, the ocean began to provide 90% of the world production of bromine and 60% of magnesium. Sodium and chlorine are extracted in significant quantities from seawater. As for food (table) salt, people have long been getting it from sea water by evaporation. Marine salt mines are still operating in tropical countries, where salt is obtained directly in shallow areas of the coast, fencing them off from the sea with dams. The technology is not very complicated here. The concentration of table salt in water is higher than that of other salts, and therefore, when evaporated, it first precipitates. The crystals settled at the bottom are removed from the so-called mother liquor and washed fresh waterto remove residual magnesium salts that give the salt a bitter taste.

A more advanced technology for extracting salt from seawater is used at numerous salt works in France and Spain, which supply large volumes of salt not only to the European market. For example, one of the new ways to obtain salt is to install special seawater sprays in the salt pans. Water, turned into dust (suspension), has a huge evaporation area and from the smallest drops it evaporates instantly, and only salt falls to the ground.

The extraction of table salt from sea water will continue to increase, because the deposits of rock salt, like other minerals, will sooner or later be depleted. Currently, about a quarter of all table salt necessary for humanity is mined in the sea, the rest is mined in salt mines.

Iodine is also contained in sea water. But the process of obtaining iodine directly from water would be completely unprofitable. Therefore, iodine is obtained from dried brown algae growing in the ocean.

Even gold is contained in ocean water, though in negligible quantities - 0.00001 grams per cubic meter. An attempt by German chemists in the 1930s to extract gold from the waters of the German Sea (as the North Sea is often called in German) is known. However, it was not possible to fill the vaults of the Reichsbank with gold bars: the production costs would exceed the cost of the gold itself.

Some scientists suggest that in the next few decades it may become economically feasible to obtain heavy hydrogen (deuterium) from the sea, and then humanity will be provided with energy for millions of years to come ... But uranium from seawater is already being mined on an industrial scale. Since 1986, the world's first plant for the extraction of uranium from sea water has been operating on the shores of the Inland Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. This complex and expensive technology is designed to produce 10 kg of metal per year. To obtain such an amount of uranium, more than 13 million tons of seawater must be filtered and subjected to ion treatment. But the hard-working Japanese do the job. Moreover, they know very well what atomic energy is. -)

An indicator of the amount of chemicals dissolved in water is a special characteristic called salinity. Salinity is the mass of all salts, expressed in grams, contained in 1 kg of seawater... Salinity is measured in thousandths, or ppm (‰). On the surface of the open ocean, salinity fluctuations are small: from 32 to 38 ‰. The average surface salinity of the World Ocean is about 35 ‰ (more precisely, 34.73 ‰).

Atlantic waters and The Pacific have salinity slightly above average (34.87 ‰), and the waters of the Indian Ocean - slightly lower (34.58 ‰). Here the freshening effect of the Antarctic ice affects. For comparison, let us point out that the usual salinity of river waters does not exceed 0.15 ‰, which is 230 times less than the surface salinity of seawater.

The least salty in the open ocean are the waters of the polar regions of both hemispheres. This is due to the melting of continental ice, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, and the large volumes of river flows in the Northern Hemisphere.

Salinity increases towards the tropics. The highest concentration of salts is observed not at the equator, but in the latitude bands of 3 ° -20 ° south and north of the equator. These bands are sometimes called salinity belts.

The fact that in equatorial zone the surface salinity of water is relatively low, due to the fact that the equator is a zone of torrential tropical rains that desalinate the water. Often, in the equatorial region, dense clouds block the ocean from direct sunlight, which reduces the evaporation of water at such moments.

In the marginal and especially inland seas, salinity differs from that of the ocean. For example, in the Red Sea, the surface salinity of water reaches the highest values \u200b\u200bin the World Ocean - up to 42 ‰. This is simply explained: the Red Sea is in a zone of high evaporation, and it communicates with the ocean through the shallow and narrow Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and does not receive fresh water from the continent, since not a single river flows into this sea, but rare rains unable to freshen the water in any noticeable way.

The Baltic Sea, which juts out far into the land, communicates with the ocean through several small and narrow straits, is located in the temperate climate zone and receives the waters of many large rivers and small rivers. Therefore, the Baltic is one of the most freshened basins in the World Ocean. The surface salinity of the central part of the Baltic Sea is only 6-8 ‰, and in the north, in the shallow Gulf of Bothnia, it even drops to 2-3 ‰).

Salinity changes with increasing depth... This is due to the movement of subsurface waters, that is, the hydrological regime of a particular basin. For example, in the equatorial latitudes of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans below a depth of 100-150 m, layers of very salt water (above 36 ‰), which are formed due to the transfer of more saline tropical waters by deep countercurrents from the western outskirts of the oceans.

Salinity changes sharply only up to depths of the order of 1500 m. Below this horizon, fluctuations in salinity are almost not observed. At great depths in different oceans, salinity indicators approach each other. Seasonal changes in salinity on the surface of the open ocean are insignificant, no more than 1 ‰.

Experts believe that salinity anomaly is the salinity of water in the Red Sea at a depth of about 2000 m, which reaches 300 ‰.

The main method for determining the salinity of seawater is the titration method. The essence of the method is that a certain amount of silver nitrate (AgNO 3) is added to the water sample, which in combination with sodium chloride of sea water precipitates in the form of silver chloride. Since the ratio of the amount of sodium chloride to other substances dissolved in water is constant, then, by weighing the precipitated silver chloride, it is quite simple to calculate the salinity of the water.

There are also other methods for determining salinity. Since such, for example, indicators as the refraction of light in water, the density and electrical conductivity of water depend on its salinity, then, having determined them, you can measure the salinity of water.

Taking samples of seawater to determine its salinity or other indicators is not an easy task. To do this, use special samplers - bathometers, which provide sampling from different depths or from different layers water. This process requires a lot of care and attention from hydrologists.

So, the main processes affecting the salinity of water are the rate of evaporation of water, the intensity of mixing of more saline waters with less saline ones, as well as the frequency and intensity of precipitation. These processes are determined by the climatic conditions of a particular region of the World Ocean.

In addition to these processes, the salinity of sea water is affected by the proximity of melting glaciers and the volume of fresh water brought by rivers.

In general, the percentage of various salts in seawater in all areas of the ocean almost always remains the same. However, in some places, marine organisms have a noticeable effect on the chemical composition of seawater. They use for their nutrition and development many substances dissolved in the sea, although in varying amounts. Some substances, such as phosphates and nitrogenous compounds, are consumed especially in large quantities. In areas where marine organisms a lot, the content of these substances in water decreases slightly. The smallest organisms that make up plankton have a noticeable effect on the chemical processes taking place in seawater. They drift on the surface of the sea or in the near-surface layers of water and, dying off, slowly and continuously fall to the bottom of the ocean.

Salinity of the World Ocean. Current monitoring map (enlarge).

What is the total salt content in the oceans? Now the answer to this question is not at all difficult. Assuming that total of water in the World Ocean is 1370 million cubic kilometers, and the average concentration of salts in seawater is 35 ‰, that is, 35 g in one liter, it turns out that one cubic kilometer contains about 35 thousand tons of salt. Then the amount of salt in the oceans will be expressed by the astronomical figure 4.8 * 10 16 tons (that is, 48 \u200b\u200bquadrillion tons).

This means that even the active extraction of salts for domestic and industrial needs will not be able to change the composition of seawater. In this respect, the ocean can be considered inexhaustible without exaggeration.

Now it is necessary to answer an equally important question: where is so much salt in the ocean?

For many years, the hypothesis that rivers brought salt to the sea prevailed in science. But this hypothesis, at first glance quite convincing, turned out to be scientifically untenable. It has been established that every second the rivers of our planet carry out about a million tons of water into the ocean, and their annual flow is 37 thousand cubic kilometers. It takes 37 thousand years for the complete renewal of water in the World Ocean - in about this time, it is possible to fill the ocean with river runoff. And if we assume that in the geological history of the Earth there were at least one hundred thousand such periods, and the salt content in river water, in an average approximation, is about 1 gram per liter, then it turns out that in the entire geological history of the Earth about 1, 4 * 10 20 tons of salts. And according to the calculations of scientists, which we have just cited, 4.8 * 10 16 tons of salt are dissolved in the World Ocean, that is, 3 thousand times less. But it's not only that. The chemical composition of salts dissolved in river water differs sharply from the composition of sea salt. If sodium and magnesium compounds with chlorine absolutely predominate in seawater (89% of the dry residue after evaporation of water and only 0.3% is calcium carbonate), then in river water calcium carbonate takes the first place - over 60% of the dry residue, and sodium chlorides and magnesium together - only 5.2 percent.

Scientists have only one suggestion: the ocean became salty during its birth. The most ancient animals could not exist in slightly salted, and even more so in freshwater basins. This means that the composition of sea water has not changed since its inception. But where are the carbonates that have been entering the ocean along with river flows over hundreds of millions of years? The only correct answer to this question was given by the founder of biogeochemistry, the great Russian scientist Academician V.I. Vernadsky. He argued that almost all calcium carbonate, as well as silicon salts brought by rivers into the ocean, are immediately extracted from solution by those marine plants and animals that need these minerals for their skeletons, shells and shells. As these living organisms die off, the calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) contained in them and silicon salts are deposited on seabed in the form of organic sediments. So living organisms throughout the entire existence of the World Ocean maintain unchanged the composition of its salts.

And now a few words about one more mineral contained in sea water. We have spent so many words praising the ocean for the many different salts and other substances found in its waters, including deuterium, uranium, and even gold. But we did not mention the main and main mineral that is found in the World Ocean - plain water. H 2 O ... Without this "mineral" on Earth there would be nothing at all: no oceans, no seas, no you and me. About the main physical properties water we already had the opportunity to talk. Therefore, here we will restrict ourselves to only a few remarks.

In the entire history of science, people have not solved all the secrets of this simple enough chemical, the molecule of which consists of three atoms: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. By the way, modern science claims that hydrogen atoms make up 93% of all atoms in the universe.

And among the mysteries and secrets of water remain, for example, such: why frozen water vapor turns into snowflakes, the shape of which is a surprisingly regular geometric figure, reminiscent of magnificent patterns. And the drawings on the window panes on frosty days? Instead of amorphous snow and ice, we see ice crystals, which are lined up in such an amazing way that they look like leaves and branches of some fabulous trees.

Or here's another. Two gaseous substances - oxygen and hydrogen, combined together, turned into a liquid. Many other substances, including solid ones, when combined with hydrogen, become, like hydrogen, gaseous, for example, hydrogen sulfide H 2 S, hydrogen selenide (H 2 Se), or a compound with tellurium (H 2 Te).

It is known that water dissolves many substances well. They say that it dissolves, albeit to a vanishingly small extent, even the glass of the glass into which we poured it.

However, the most important thing to say about water is that water has become the cradle of life. Water, initially dissolving dozens of chemical compounds, that is, having become seawater, it turned into a solution that is unique in terms of the variety of components, which ultimately turned out to be a favorable environment for the emergence and maintenance of organic life.

In the first chapter of this story of ours, we have already noted what is almost universally accepted. The hypothesis has now turned into a theory of the origin of life, each position of which, according to the authors of this theory, is based on the factual data of cosmogony, astronomy, historical geology, mineralogy, energy, physics, chemistry, including biological chemistry and other sciences.

The first opinion that life originated in the ocean was expressed in 1893 by the German naturalist G. Bunge. He realized that the amazing similarity between blood and sea water in the composition of the salts dissolved in them is not accidental. Later, the theory of the oceanic origin of the mineral composition of blood was developed in detail by the English physiologist McKellum, who confirmed the correctness of this assumption by the results of numerous blood tests of various animals, from invertebrates to mammals.

It turned out that not only blood, but the entire internal environment of our body shows traces preserved from the long stay of our distant ancestors in sea water.

Currently, world science has no doubts about the oceanic origin of life on Earth.

Seawater covers two-thirds of our planet and has many unique properties. Main characteristic sea \u200b\u200bwater - its salinity, which differs in different parts of the planet: from 41–42 g / l in the saltiest sea to 7 g / l in the freshest one. The average salinity of the World Ocean is 34.7 g / l. What is the saltiest sea in the world?

The Red Sea is the saltiest sea in the world

It is the Red Sea that is known as the saltiest sea on our planet. The density of salts in its water is 41 g / l, which is one third higher than the average salt content in the World Ocean. But this does not interfere with its numerous inhabitants. The rich flora and fauna of the Red Sea attract thousands of tourists, especially those who like underwater tourism - diving.

By the way, if someone decides to argue with you about which sea is the saltiest - the Dead, whose waters contain 270 g / l of salts, or Red, you can confidently answer that it is Red. The fact is that the Dead Sea, despite its name, is from a scientific point of view a lake, since its waters do not have a drain.

In turn, the Red Sea is different in that it does not have a single river that would flow into it. This is one of the reasons the water is so salty. The climate here is very dry and hot. Water evaporates at a tremendous rate - up to 2 thousand mm per year, but the salt remains. The rains are not able to make up for this amount of evaporation: in total, less than 100 mm of precipitation falls here per year. For comparison: in the central and northern parts of Kazakhstan, 300 – 500 mm of precipitation, in Turkey - 400 – 700 mm, in Ukraine - 600 – 800 mm, in Central Africa - 1800 – 3000 mm per year.

The Red Sea belongs to the Indian Ocean basin. Probably, it would have dried up long ago, if not for the Gulf of Aden, which allows it to exchange waters with the ocean. The currents move in both directions and replenish water balance The Red Sea by thousands of liters per year. On the other hand, it connects with the Mediterranean Sea thanks to the Suez Canal. There is also a current here, albeit in an insignificant volume for the scale of the sea.

Squeezed between the northeastern coast of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea stretches for more than 2 thousand km. However, even in the widest place it remains for many rivers - only 360 m.In some places, its depth reaches 2.2 km, although the average depth of the saltiest sea in the world is only 437 m.

Despite its great extent, the salinity of the Red Sea has practically the same characteristics over its entire area (which, by the way, is 450 thousand km2). This is due to the unique natural mechanism of water mixing. In winter, cooling water sinks to the bottom, and retained heat rises up. In summer, the surface water becomes heavier due to evaporation and increased salinity, so this giant mixer works all year round.

Hot hollows, discovered by scientists no more than half a century ago, contribute to the mixing of water. Observations of the temperature and composition of the waters in these depressions suggest that they are heated by the heat coming from the bowels of the Earth. Thus, the average water temperature in the Red Sea during the year is kept at 20 – 25 ° C, and in the depressions - 30 – 60 ° C, moreover, it rises by 0.3 annually – 0.7 ° C.

Rivers carry with them not only water, but also sand, silt and debris, so the Red Sea, as the only body of water in the world without river flow, retains the incredible transparency of its waters. This makes it one of the most scenic spots on the planet. Coral reefs, thousands of species of colorful fish, numerous algae, including those that gave the sea its name - all this is worth seeing with your own eyes. It is important to note that about a third of the local inhabitants are endemic, which means that they can only be found here.

The most salty seas: list

The main contenders for the status of the saltiest seas in the world are as follows:

Mediterranean Sea.

The second place in the list of the saltiest seas after the Red is the Mediterranean Sea - 39.5 g / l. Although such salinity can be felt only far from the coast, it still significantly limits the development of small algae and zooplankton, increasing the transparency of sea waters. Like the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most warm seas planets: even in winter, the water temperature here does not fall below 10 – 12 ° C, and in summer it warms up to 25 – 28 ° C.

The Aegean sea.

The next in salinity can be considered the Aegean Sea, washing the shores of Greece and Turkey, as well as the famous island of Crete. Here, the water contains on average 38.5 g / l of salts, which are high in sodium. Doctors recommend that you rinse yourself after swimming in this sea in order to avoid corroding the surface layers of the skin.

Ionian Sea.

Another Greek sea, the Ionian Sea, is only slightly behind in salinity, the water of which contains 38 g / l of salts on average. Here, the high alkali content also forces tourists to take better care of their skin. But high density (highest for seawater) combined with high water temperature (26 – 28 ° C in summer) maintains the attractiveness of these places.

Ligurian Sea.

The density of the saline solution is 38 g / l and the Ligurian Sea has. This small sea with an area of \u200b\u200bonly 15 thousand km2 is located between the island of Corsica and the Tuscan coast. Many rivulets flowing into it from the Apennines could not add freshwater to it.

Barencevo sea.

The salinity of 35 g / l is in the Barents Sea - the saltiest sea in Russia. It is located in the north of the European part of Russia and combines the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the cold waters of the Arctic.

Also, the ten saltiest seas include the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, known for its typhoons (37 – 38 g / l), the Laptev Sea (34 g / l), the Chukchi Sea (33 g / l) and the White Sea (30 g / l).

It is interesting that the Aral Sea located on the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which, like the Dead Sea, is more a lake than a sea, may soon catch up with it in terms of water salinity. This body of water, which in the middle of the twentieth century occupied the 4th place in area among the lakes of the planet, has become shallow so that its area has decreased almost 10 times - from 68.9 thousand km2 to 7.3 thousand km2 - in 2014. The salinity of water during the same time increased 10 times and in 2007 reached 100 g / l.

Despite the diversity, in the oceans, the salinity of the waters is much more stable - over the past 50 years, scientists have not been able to notice significant fluctuations. So when your children and grandchildren start to wonder what is the saltiest sea in the world, the answer will remain the same - Red. We wish you someday to experience the unique composition of its waters on your own skin and see with your own eyes the diversity of its underwater inhabitants.

Everyone has heard of the healing properties Dead sea... These qualities are primarily due to the properties of water. That is why, touching upon the question of which sea on the planet is the most, the Dead Sea is at the top of the list of names.

It is located in a depression near two ancient states - Israel and Jordan. The concentration of salt in it reaches three hundred and forty grams of substance per one liter of water, while the salinity reaches 33.7%, which is 8.6 times more than in the entire world ocean. It is the presence of such a concentration of salt that makes the water in this place so dense that it is simply impossible to drown in the sea.

Sea or lake?

The Dead Sea is also called a lake, since it has no outlet to the ocean. The reservoir feeds only the Jordan River, as well as several drying up streams.

Due to the high concentration of salt in this lake, there are no marine organisms - fish and plants, but different types of bacteria and fungi live in it.

Oomycetes are a group of mycelial organisms.

In addition, about seventy species of oomycetes were found here, capable of transferring water salinity to the maximum. More than thirty types of minerals are distributed in this sea, which include potassium, sulfur, magnesium, iodine and bromine. Such a harmony of chemical elements splashes out into very interesting formations of salt, which, unfortunately, are not durable.

Red sea

Continuing this theme, it should be noted that the first position, along with the Dead, is shared by Red, which also has a high salt content in water.

It is widely believed that the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea do not mix at the junction, and also strikingly differ in color.

It is located between Asia and Africa in a tectonic depression, where the depth reaches three hundred meters. Rains in this region are extremely rare, only about one hundred millimeters per year, but evaporation from the sea surface is already two thousand millimeters. This imbalance is the cause of increased salt formation. So, the salt concentration per one liter of water is as much as forty-one grams.

It should be noted that the concentration of salts in this place is constantly growing, since there is not a single body of water in the sea, and the lack of water mass is compensated by the Gulf of Aden.

The uniqueness of these two seas has been known since ancient times and these territories are still very popular among the inhabitants of the planet. After all, the water in these lakes is curative.

Answer from Natalia [guru]
On personal feelings - Mediterranean, more salty Aegean, the most salty - Red. Then - Dead. A% - you need to look ...
Salinity is the amount of solids in grams dissolved in 1 kg of seawater, provided that all halogens are replaced by an equivalent amount of chlorine, all carbonates are converted to oxides, and organic matter is burned.
Measured in "‰" ("ppm").
The average salinity of the world's oceans is 35 ‰. To calibrate instruments in the Bay of Biscay, so-called normal water with a salinity close to 35 ‰ is extracted.
Baltic - 7-8
Azovskoe - 12
Black - 16
Marble 26
Adriatic - 35-38
Aegean 37
Ligurian -38
Mediterranean (overall) about 38 - 39.5
Red - 39-40
Dead 260-270
Source Wikipedia and:

Answer from Marina F[guru]
the Aegean sea
Salinity 37.0-39.00 / 00.
Mediterranean Sea
Large evaporation leads to a strong increase in salinity. Its values \u200b\u200bincrease from 3. to V. from 36 to -39.5. The density of water on the surface varies from 1.023-1.027 g / cm³ in summer to 1.027-1.029 g / cm³ in winter.
Red sea
Strong evaporation of warm water turned the Red Sea into one of the saltiest on the globe: 38-42 grams of salt per liter. Salinity - 40-60 g / l. Salinity reaches - up to 40 ‰
The Dead Sea
The content of minerals in the water reaches 33%, on average 28% (for comparison, in the Mediterranean Sea - 4%).
Barencevo sea
The salinity of the surface water layer in the open sea during the year is 34.7-35.0 in the southwest, 33.0-34.0 ‰ in the east, and 32.0-33.0 in the north. In the coastal strip of the sea, in spring and summer, salinity decreases to 30-32 ‰, by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5 ‰.
Azov sea
The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm near the Kerch Strait. After the creation of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to increase (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity values \u200b\u200brarely reach 1-2 percent.
Davis Sea
Salinity 33.0-33.5 ‰.
Baltic Sea
Salinity of sea water decreases from the Danish straits, connecting the Baltic Sea with the salty North Sea, to the east. In the Danish Straits, salinity is 20 ppm at the sea surface and 30 ppm at the bottom. Towards the center of the sea, salinity decreases to 6-8 ppm near the sea surface, in the north of the Gulf of Bothnia, dropping to 2-3 ppm, in the Gulf of Finland up to 2 ppm. Salinity increases with depth, reaching 13 ppm in the center of the sea at the bottom.
White Sea
the large inflow of river waters and insignificant exchange with the Barents Sea resulted in a relatively low salinity of the surface waters of the sea (26 ppm and below). The salinity of deep waters is much higher - up to 31 ppm.
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