Essentials of Oceanography, Trujillo chap 5

Question 1

Describe salinity distribution throughout earth

Answer 1

Highs at tropic of capricorn and cancer due to high evaporation rates and low precipitation rates(subtropical high). Dips at Equator(high precipitation equatorial low) and poles(low evaporation and high runoff from glaciers and shit. polar low)

Question 2

describe how salinity changes at depth at poles and subtropics

Answer 2

poles have lower salinity near the surface and higher at depth while subtropics have higher salinity near the surface and lower at depth. They have similar salinity levels at depth

Question 3

are most salinity levels similar at depth no matter latitude

Answer 3

yes, most salinity levels are similar at depth due to the surface processes not affecting the water.