The Earth can be safely called a water planet, because the World Ocean surrounding the land covers 71% of its entire surface. , which are included in its composition, differ from each other in many respects. Including such a parameter as salinity, which means the amount of salts dissolved in one liter of water under certain conditions. The salinity of sea water is most often measured in "‰" (ppm). Now it will not be difficult to find out which is the saltiest sea on Earth.
5. Ionian Sea - salinity exceeds 38‰
The Ionian Sea is a part of the Mediterranean, which washes the shores of southern Italy and Greece. The bottom of the sea is covered with silt, and closer to the coast - with sand and small shell rock. Its area is 169 thousand km², the maximum depth is 5,121 m. This is the greatest depth in the entire Mediterranean Sea. There is an industrial catch of mackerel, mullet, tuna, flounder. The waters of the Ionian Sea are safe and very warm, even in February their temperature does not fall below 14°C, and at the peak of the holiday season, in August, it reaches 25.5°C. Among its inhabitants can be called bottlenose dolphins, huge turtles, octopuses. And very dangerous sea urchins and white sharks can hardly be found near the coast. Poisonous dragon fish that can cause an allergic reaction in humans are more active at night and burrow into the sand during the day.
4. Aegean Sea - salinity from 37 to 40.0 ‰
This semi-enclosed sea has about 20,000 islands and is located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. The total area is 179 thousand km². Through the straits it is connected to the Marmara, Black and Mediterranean seas. The salinity of its waters is increasing, which is associated with general warming. After bathing, it is recommended to wash off the sea water, as this can adversely affect the condition of the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes. There is fishing in the Aegean Sea, sponges are actively mined, octopuses are caught. Due to the fact that there is little plankton in this sea, fishing in its waters is gradually declining.
3. Ligurian Sea - salinity 38 ‰
This sea is located in the western part of the Mediterranean. The shores are steep and rocky, but there are sandy beaches. Many small rivers flow into the Ligurian Sea, which originate in the Apennines. On its shores there are such important ports as:
- Lympia, which is considered the sea gate of Nice.
- Cruise ports of Savona, La Spezia with container and bulk terminals.
- The Genoese port, which ranks first in terms of trade volume in Italy.
Despite the high salinity of these waters, one of the most famous resort areas in the world, the Riviera, is located on the French-Italian coast of the Ligurian Sea.
2. Mediterranean Sea - salinity from 36 to 39.5 ‰
The Mediterranean Sea is a relic of the ancient Tethys Ocean. It is considered one of the largest seas in size, its area is 2.5 million km². Its basin includes the Azov, Black and Marmara seas. The salinity of the sea fluctuates significantly, as water comes from the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar, the salinity of which is much lower. The amount of zooplankton in the Mediterranean Sea is relatively small, as a result, there are few different types of fish, as well as marine animals and mammals. But algae are represented in large numbers, especially peridine and diatoms. The benthic fauna is very poor because of the yellowish silt, which is not conducive to the development of life. There are 550 fish species in the Mediterranean Sea, 70 of which are endemic. More often than others, there are: mackerel, sardine, horse mackerel, mullet, etc. There are also larger "inhabitants" - sharks, rays, tuna. Edible shellfish are common.
1. Red Sea - salinity 41 ‰
The saltiest of all, the Red Sea is located in a tectonic basin, the depth of which can reach up to 3 km. It is an inland sea of the Indian Ocean. The hot climate, which provokes strong surface evaporation and low precipitation (about 100 mm per year), the absence of rivers flowing into the sea, leads to a gradual increase in its salinity. Due to the absence of silt and sand, which are abundant in river water, the Red Sea is distinguished by extraordinary transparency and purity. The water temperature even in winter is +20 °C, and in summer it is much higher.
Despite its salinity, the waters of the Red Sea amaze with a huge number of different species of fish living in it. But ichthyologists believe that only 60% of fish that can exist at great depths have been discovered. The sea is unusually beautiful, and there are many interesting and sometimes funny inhabitants in it, but it is strictly forbidden to touch them. Corals, sponges, jellyfish, and sea urchins, moray eels and poisonous sea snakes are potentially extremely dangerous. Any contact with them can result in a burn, significant blood loss or a pronounced allergic reaction, and sometimes death. 44 species of sharks live in warm sea waters. The most terrible of them is the tiger, which can easily attack a person.
Having considered separately, it is now easy to conclude which is the most salty sea. The salinity of the very famous Dead Sea reaches 350 ‰, but in fact, despite the name, it is an endorheic lake that gradually dries up.
The salinity of the Black Sea is much lower than in the nearby Mediterranean or Red Seas, it looks more like a huge fresh lake. Abundant rivers flowing into the Black Sea significantly desalinate its water.
The Black Sea is known for the fact that hydrogen sulfide accumulates at great depths, so its bottom has not yet been well studied. And just above the layer of hydrogen sulfide, water accumulates, much more salty than on the surface of the sea.
What factors influence the salinity of the Black Sea?
- The salinity level in this sea is affected by:
- Found in temperate and subtropical climates.
- Significant catchment area.
- The flow of fresh water from the rivers flowing into this sea.
- The distant location of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
- Quite a deep sea.
- Absence of sea tides.
River runoff to the Black Sea
The salinity of the water in the Black Sea is relatively low, because. it receives huge volumes of fresh water. The most big river that gives fresh water to the sea is the Danube. Rivers also provide a lot of water:
- Dnieper;
- Kuban;
- Dniester;
- Don etc.
Thanks to these rivers, the water level in the Black Sea is significantly higher than the same water level in the Atlantic, but lower than the average water level in certain areas of the Mediterranean.
But the water temperature and the percentage of salinity of the Black Sea waters are significantly lower than in the Mediterranean Sea. This is due to the peculiarities of the climate and the relatively small influx of fresh water in the Mediterranean.
What is salinity?
In the water of any sea there is a huge number of metals, salts, alkalis, etc. Scientists calculate its salinity as a percentage or ppm. A liter of water taken for research is evaporated, after which the remaining substances are studied and evaluated.
Salinity of the Black Sea in percent
This indicator is calculated based on the content of various substances dissolved in water in grams, and is reflected as a percentage of the total mass. The mass of each precipitated substance is multiplied by 100 grams and divided by 100 percent.
Salinity of the Black Sea in ppm
In ppm, the salinity of the sea is calculated not in hundredths, but in thousandths. For example, from special literature we know that the salinity of the Black Sea is 17-18 ppm, the average of the World Ocean is 35 ppm, the Red Sea is 42 ppm, etc.
What is the easiest way to determine the salinity of the sea?
There is a relatively simple way to determine salinity; to conduct such a study at home, you will need dishes that are resistant to high temperatures, a heater and a scale where you can weigh substances in milligrams.
Salinity rating of the seas
There are about 80 seas on our planet. Of course, the Dead Sea would take the first place in the ranking, as its waters are famous for their salinity. The Dead Sea is one of the most saline bodies of water on Earth, salinity is 300-310 ‰, in some years up to 350 ‰. But scientists call this body of water a lake.
- The Red Sea with a salinity of 42‰.
The Red Sea is located between the coasts of Africa and Asia. The Red Sea, in addition to salinity and warmth, boasts of its transparency. Many tourists love to relax on its shore.
2. The Mediterranean Sea has a salinity of 39.5‰.
The Mediterranean Sea washes the shores of Europe and Africa. In addition to salinity, it boasts of its warm waters - in summer they warm up to 25 degrees above zero.
3. The Aegean Sea with a salinity of 38.5‰.
The waters of this sea with a high concentration of sodium can cause skin irritation. Therefore, after swimming, it is better to take a fresh shower. In summer, the water warms up to 24 degrees Celsius. Its waters wash the coast of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the island of Crete.
4 . Ionian Sea with a salinity of 38 ‰.
This is the most dense and salty Greek sea. Its waters allow poor swimmers to hone this skill, as the high density will help keep the body afloat. The area of the Ionian Sea is 169 thousand square kilometers. Washes the shores of southern Italy, Albania and Greece.
5 . The Sea of Japan, whose salinity is 35‰
The sea is located between the continent of Eurasia and Japanese islands. Also, its waters wash the island of Sakhalin. The water temperature depends on geographical location: in the north - 0 - +12 degrees, in the south - 17-26 degrees. The area of the Sea of Japan is more than 1 million square kilometers.
6. Barents Sea with a salinity of 34.7-35 ‰
It is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Norway.
7. The Laptev Sea with a salinity of 34‰.
The area is 662 thousand square kilometers. It is located between the New Siberian Islands and Severnaya Zemlya. The average annual water temperature is 0 degrees Celsius.
8. Chukchi Sea with a salinity of 33‰.
In winter, the salinity of this sea rises to 33‰, while in the summer, the salinity slightly decreases. The Chukchi Sea has an area of 589.6 thousand km². average temperature in summer - 12 degrees Celsius, and in winter - almost 2 degrees Celsius.
9. White Sea also has a high salinity. In the surface layers, the indicator stopped at 26 percent, but at depth it rises to 31 percent.
10. Laptev Sea. Salinity is recorded at the surface at 28 percent
The sea has a harsh climate with temperatures below 0 °C for more than nine months of the year, sparse flora and fauna, and low population along the coast. Most of the time, with the exception of August and September, it is under ice. The salinity of sea water at the surface in the northwestern part of the sea in winter is 34 ‰ (ppm), in the southern part - up to 20-25 ‰, in summer decreasing to 30-32 ‰ and 5-10 ‰, respectively. The salinity of surface waters is strongly influenced by the melting of ice and the runoff of Siberian rivers.
The fact that the water in the sea is salty - everyone knows firsthand. But most people will most likely find it difficult to answer the question of which sea is the most salty on the planet. However, it is unlikely that a person thought about why the sea is salty and whether there is life in the saltiest sea in the world.
The oceans are a single whole natural organism. On the planet, they occupy two-thirds of the entire terrestrial space. Well, sea water, which fills the world's oceans, is considered the most common substance on the surface of the Earth. It has a bitter-salty taste; sea water differs from fresh water in transparency and color, specific gravity and aggressive effect on materials. And this is explained simply - in sea water there are more than 50 different components.
The most salty seas in the world
Which seas are more salty, which are less - scientists know for sure. The liquid in the seas has already been studied and literally decomposed into components. And it turned out that the salty seas in Russia occupy the highest lines in the salinity rating. So, the main contender for the status of the most salty is the Barents Sea. This is because during the year the salinity of the surface layers fluctuates around 34.7-35 percent, however, if you deviate to the north and east, the percentage will decrease. 
The White Sea is also characterized by high salinity. In the surface layers, the indicator stopped at 26 percent, but at depth it rises to 31 percent. In the Kara Sea, the salinity is about 34 percent, however, it is not uniform, and at the mouths of the inflowing rivers, the water becomes almost fresh. Another of the most salty seas in the world can be called the Laptev Sea. At the surface, salinity is fixed at 28 percent. The figure is even higher - 31-33 percent - in the Chukchi Sea. But this is in winter, in summer the salinity drops.
Which sea is saltier
By the way, everyone's favorite Mediterranean Sea can also compete for the status of the saltiest in the world. Salinity in it ranges from 36 to 39.5 percent. In particular, because of this, a weak quantitative development of phyto and zooplankton is noted in the sea. However, despite this, a large number of representatives of the fauna live in the sea. Here you can meet seals, sea turtles, 550 species of fish, about 70 endemic fish, crayfish, as well as octopuses, crabs, lobsters, squids. 
Certainly not saltier than the Mediterranean is another famous sea - the Caspian Sea. The Caspian boasts a rich wildlife - 1809 species. Most of the world's sturgeon stocks live in the sea, as well as freshwater fish (perch, carp and vobla). Vegetable world is also very rich - there are 728 species of plants in the Caspian Sea, but, of course, algae predominate. An interesting fact is that in Karakalpakstan there is a unique natural object- Aral Sea. And him distinguishing feature in that it can be called the second Dead Sea. Half a century ago, the Aral Sea had a standard salinity. However, as soon as water was taken from the sea for irrigation, salinity began to rise, and by 2010 it had increased 10 times. The Dead Sea is called not only in terms of salinity, but also due to the fact that many inhabitants of the Aral Sea died out as a protest against the increase in salinity.
Why are the seas salty
Why the seas are salty - this question has been of interest to people since ancient times. For example, according to a Norwegian legend, at the bottom of the seas there is an unusual mill that constantly grinds salt. Similar stories exist in the tales of the inhabitants of Japan, the Philippines and Karelia. But according to the Crimean legend, the Black Sea is salty due to the fact that the girls who fell into the net of Neptune are forced to weave white lace for the waves at the bottom for centuries and constantly cry about native land. Tears made the water salty. 
But according to the scientific hypothesis, salt water has become a different path. All water in the seas and oceans is taken from rivers. However, fresh water flows in the latter. And on average, 35 grams of salts are dissolved in one liter of the World Ocean. According to scientists, every grain of salt is washed out of the soil by river waters and sent to the sea. Over the centuries and millennia, more and more salt has been washed into the oceans. And she can't go anywhere.
There is a version that the water in the oceans and seas was originally salty. The first body of water on the planet was allegedly filled with acid rain, which fell to the ground as a result of a major volcanic eruption at the beginning of the planet's life. Acids, according to scientists, corroded rocks, entered into chemical compounds with them. Eventually chemical reactions salt water appeared, which now fills the oceans.
The most salty sea in the world
The most salty sea in the world is called the Red Sea. One liter of its water contains 41 grams of salts. The sea has only one source of water - the Gulf of Aden. In a year, through the Bab-El Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea receives a thousand cubic kilometers of water more than it is taken out of the sea. Therefore, according to researchers, it takes about 15 years for the waters of the Red Sea to be completely renewed. 
The salty Red Sea is very well and evenly mixed. In winter, surface waters cool down, sink down, raising warm waters from the depths of the sea. In summer, water evaporates from the surface, the remaining becomes salty and heavy, and therefore sinks down. Not so salty water rises up. Thus, the water is mixed. The sea is the same in salinity and temperature everywhere, except for the depressions.
By the way, the discovery of depressions in the Red Sea with hot brine in the 60s of the last century was a real discovery for scientists. The brine in such depressions has a temperature of 30 to 60 degrees Celsius, and it rises by a maximum of 0.7 degrees per year. It turns out that the water is heated from the inside by "earthly" heat. And scientists say that the brine does not mix with sea water and differs from it in chemical parameters.
In the Red Sea, there is no coastal runoff (rivers and rain streams). As a result, there is no dirt from the land, but there is crystal clear water. All year round the temperature is kept at the level of 20-25 degrees. This led to wealth, as well as uniqueness. marine life in the sea.
Why is the Red Sea the saltiest? Some say that the most salty is the Dead Sea. Its salinity is 40 times that of Baltic Sea and 8 times the Atlantic Ocean. However, it is impossible to call the Dead Sea the most salty, but it is considered the warmest.
The Dead Sea is located on the territory of Jordan and Israel in Western Asia. Its area is more than 605 square kilometers with maximum depth 306 meters. The only river that flows into this famous sea is the Jordan. There is no exit from the sea, therefore, according to science, it is more correct to call it a lake.
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) or PSU units (Practical Salinity Units) of the practical salinity scale (Practical Salinity Scale).
| Element | Content, mg/l |
|---|---|
| Chlorine | 19 500 |
| Sodium | 10 833 |
| Magnesium | 1 311 |
| Sulfur | 910 |
| Calcium | 412 |
| Potassium | 390 |
| Bromine | 65 |
| Carbon | 20 |
| Strontium | 13 |
| Bor | 4,5 |
| Fluorine | 1,0 |
| Silicon | 0,5 |
| Rubidium | 0,2 |
| Nitrogen | 0,1 |
Salinity in ppm is the amount of solids in grams dissolved in 1 kg of sea water, provided that all halogens are replaced by an equivalent amount of chlorine, all carbonates are converted to oxides, organic matter burned.
In 1978, the practical salinity scale (Practical Salinity Scale 1978, PSS-78) was introduced and approved by all international oceanographic organizations, in which salinity measurement is based on electrical conductivity (conductometry), and not on water evaporation. In the 1970s, oceanographic CTD probes became widely used in marine research, and since then, water salinity has been measured mainly by electrical methods. To verify the operation of electrical conductivity cells that are immersed in water, laboratory salt meters are used. In turn, standard sea water is used to check salt meters. Standard sea water recommended international organization IAPSO for calibration of salt meters, produced in the UK by Ocean Scientific International Limited (OSIL) from natural sea water. If all measurement standards are followed, salinity measurement accuracy up to 0.001 PSU can be achieved.
The PSS-78 gives numerical results that are close to measurements of mass fractions, and differences are noticeable either when measurements with an accuracy better than 0.01 PSU are needed, or when the salt composition does not correspond to the standard composition of ocean water.
- Atlantic Ocean - 35.4 ‰ The highest salinity of surface waters in the open ocean is observed in the subtropical zone (up to 37.25 ‰), and the maximum is in the Mediterranean Sea: 39 ‰. In the equatorial zone, where the maximum amount of precipitation is noted, salinity decreases to 34 ‰. A sharp desalination of water occurs in the estuarine areas (for example, at the mouth of La Plata - 18-19 ‰).
- Indian Ocean - 34.8 ‰. The maximum salinity of surface waters is observed in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, where it reaches 40-41 ‰. High salinity (more than 36 ‰) is also observed in the southern tropical zone, especially in the eastern regions, and in the northern hemisphere also in the Arabian Sea. In the neighboring Bay of Bengal, due to the desalination effect of the Ganges runoff from the Brahmaputra and the Irrawaddy, the salinity is reduced to 30-34 ‰. The seasonal difference in salinity is significant only in the Antarctic and equatorial zones. In winter, desalinated waters from the northeastern part of the ocean are carried by the monsoon current, forming a tongue of low salinity along 5°N. sh. In summer, this language disappears.
- Pacific Ocean - 34.5 ‰. Tropical zones have the maximum salinity (up to a maximum of 35.5-35.6 ‰), where intensive evaporation is combined with a relatively small amount of precipitation. To the east, under the influence of cold currents, salinity decreases. A large amount of precipitation also lowers salinity, especially at the equator and in the western circulation zones of temperate and subpolar latitudes.
- Northern Arctic ocean - 32 ‰. There are several layers of water masses in the Arctic Ocean. The surface layer has low temperature(below 0 °C) and low salinity. The latter is explained by the freshening effect of river runoff, melt water and very weak evaporation. Below, a subsurface layer stands out, colder (up to −1.8 °C) and more salty (up to 34.3 ‰), formed by mixing surface waters with the underlying intermediate water layer. The intermediate water layer is Atlantic water coming from the Greenland Sea with a positive temperature and high salinity (more than 37 ‰), spreading to a depth of 750-800 m. Deeper lies the deep water layer, which also forms in the Greenland Sea in winter, slowly creeping in a single stream from the strait between Greenland and Svalbard. The temperature of deep waters is about -0.9 ° C, salinity is close to 35 ‰. .
The salinity of ocean waters varies depending on the geographical latitude, from the open part of the ocean to the coast. AT surface waters oceans, it is lowered in the equatorial region, in polar latitudes.
| Name | Salinity, ‰ |
|---|---|
