Salinity and temperature affect the density of ocean water, driving water circulation. Measuring the relationship between temperature and salinity allows scientists to track the movement of ocean water. The links below explain salinity and provide activities for use in classrooms.
The upper layers of the Canadian Basin constitute a large reservoir of freshwater and buoyancy that derives from river runoff, sea-ice meltwater, and relatively fresh North Pacific waters. We use salinity, oxygen isotopes and nutrient concentrations to study the varying contribution from freshwater components in a series of Arctic Ocean cruises between 1989 and 2005.
