How does water density temperature and salinity affect ocean currents?

How does water density temperature and salinity affect ocean currents?

The density of seawater plays a vital role in causing ocean currents and circulating heat because of the fact that dense water sinks below less dense. Salinity, temperature and depth all affect the density of seawater. Density is a measure of how tightly a certain amount of matter is packed into a given volume.

How does the temperature affect the direction of ocean currents?

Warm currents, on the other hand, are large masses of warm water moving further away from the equator, at higher temperatures. They form when salty cold water becomes heavy and sinks, in the process forcing warm and lighter water to move in the opposite direction.

How does salinity create deep ocean currents?

When salty water sinks deeper through the water column because of its greater density, deep ocean currents are formed as the water moves horizontally and travels from areas of high salinity to those that are less salty.

Does salinity increases with depth?

Salinity, generally, increases with depth and there is a distinct zone called the halocline (compare this with thermocline), where salinity increases sharply. Other factors being constant, increasing salinity of seawater causes its density to increase.

What happens to salinity with depth?

Typically, the salinity decreases from the surface ocean to deep waters is very small, from about 36 g/L (ppt) at the surface to 35 g/L (ppt) in the deep water, thus there is a very small density decrease with depth given a constant temperature. The salinity of seawater also affects it’s freezing point temperature.

Does density increase with depth?

As depth increases, there is a region of rapidly increasing density with increasing depth, which is called the pycnocline . The pycnocline coincides with the thermocline , as it is the sudden decrease in temperature that leads to the increase in density.

Does salinity increase with temperature?

With increasing temperature, salinity decreases….and conversely, with decreasing temperature, salinity increases.

What are the two major types of currents?

The two basic types of currents – surface and deep-water currents – help define the character and flow of ocean waters across the planet.