Which sea is the saltiest black or Mediterranean. How salty is the Black Sea? Most salty seas: list
Our planet is 70% covered with water, of which more than 96% are oceans. This means that most of the water on Earth is salty. What is water salinity? How is it determined and what does it depend on? Can such water be used on the farm? Let's try to answer these questions.
What is water salinity?
Most of the water on the planet has salinity. It is usually called sea \u200b\u200bwater and is found in oceans, seas and some lakes. The rest is fresh, its amount on Earth is less than 4%. Before you understand what water salinity is, you need to understand what salt is.
Salts are complex substances that consist of cations (positively charged ions) of metals and anions (negatively charged ions) of acidic bases. Lomonosov defined them as "fragile bodies that can dissolve in water." Many substances are dissolved in seawater. It contains sulfates, nitrates, phosphates, sodium, magnesium, rubidium, potassium cations, etc. Together, these substances are termed salts.
So what is water salinity? This is the content of substances dissolved in it. It is measured in thousandths - ppm, which are denoted by a special symbol -% o. Permille defines the number of grams in one kilogram of water.
What determines the salinity of water?
In different parts of the hydrosphere and even in different times the salinity of the water is not the same. It changes under the influence of several factors:
- evaporation;
- ice formation;
- precipitation;
- melting ice;
- river runoff;
- currents.
When water evaporates from the surface of the oceans, salts remain and do not erode. As a result, their concentration increases. The freezing process has a similar effect. Glaciers contain the largest supply of fresh water on the planet. During their formation, the salinity of the waters of the World Ocean increases.
Glacier melting has the opposite effect, reducing the salt content. In addition to them, precipitation and rivers flowing into the ocean are a source of fresh water. The salt level also depends on the depth and nature of the currents.
Their greatest concentration is on the surface. The closer to the bottom, the less salinity. affect the salt content in a positive way, cold ones, on the contrary, reduce it.
Salinity of the World Ocean
What is the salinity of sea water? We already know that it is far from the same in different parts of the planet. Its indicators depend on geographical latitudes, climatic features terrain, proximity to river objects, etc.
The average salinity of the waters of the World Ocean is 35 ppm. The colder regions near the Arctic and Antarctic are characterized by a lower concentration of substances. Although in winter timewhen ice forms, the amount of salt increases.
For the same reason, the least salty ocean is the Arctic Ocean (32% o). The highest content is noted in the Indian Ocean. It covers the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf region, as well as the southern tropical belt, where salinity is up to 36 ppm.
The Pacific and Atlantic oceans have approximately the same concentration of substances. Their salinity decreases in equatorial zone and rises in subtropical and tropical regions. Some are warm and balance each other. For example, not salty Gulf Stream and salty Labrador in the Atlantic Ocean.
Salinity of lakes and seas
Most of the lakes on the planet are fresh, as they are fed mainly by precipitation. This does not mean that there are no salts in them at all, just their content is extremely small. If the amount of dissolved substances exceeds one ppm, then the lake is considered saline or mineral. The Caspian Sea has a record value (13% o). The largest freshwater lake is Baikal.
The salt concentration depends on how the water leaves the lake. Fresh water bodies are flowing, while saltier ones are closed and subject to evaporation. The rocks on which the lakes were formed are also a determining factor. So, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Canadian Shield, rocks are poorly soluble in water, therefore, the reservoirs there are "clean".
The seas are connected to the oceans through the straits. Their salinity is somewhat different and affects the average values \u200b\u200bof ocean waters. Thus, the concentration of substances in the Mediterranean Sea is 39% and is reflected in the Atlantic. The Red Sea, with an indicator of 41% o, raises the average. The most salty is the Dead Sea, in which the concentration of substances ranges from 300 to 350% o.
Properties and significance of sea water
Not suitable for economic activity... It is not suitable for drinking and watering plants. However, many organisms have long been adapted to life in it. Moreover, they are very sensitive to changes in the level of its salinity. Based on this, organisms are divided into freshwater and marine.
Thus, many animals and plants living in the oceans cannot live in the fresh water of rivers and lakes. Edible mussels, crabs, jellyfish, dolphins, whales, sharks and other animals are exclusively marine.
For drinking man uses fresh water. Salty is used for medicinal purposes. In small quantities, water with sea salt is used to restore the body. Bathing and bathing in seawater produces a healing effect.
There are about 80 seas throughout our planet. All of them enter the waters of the World Ocean. As everyone knows, from school, the seas are salty, but they all differ in the saturation of different compounds. Below is a ranking of the saltiest seas on Earth.
White Sea, salinity of which is ‰.
One of the smallest seas on the planet, it is also one of the saltiest. It covers an area of \u200b\u200bonly 90 thousand square kilometers. The water in it warms up to 15 degrees above zero in summer, and drops to 1 degrees Celsius in winter. About 50 species of fish live in the White Sea.
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Chukchi Sea with a salinity of 33 ‰.
In winter, the salinity of this sea rises to 33 ‰, while in summer the salinity decreases slightly. The Chukchi Sea has an area of \u200b\u200b589.6 thousand square kilometers. average temperature in the warm season - 12 degrees Celsius, in the cold - almost 2 degrees Celsius.
The area of \u200b\u200bthis sea is 662 thousand square kilometers. It is located between the New Siberian Islands and Severnaya Zemlya. Average annual temperature water - 0 degrees Celsius.
The Barents Sea has a salinity of 35 ‰.
The Barents Sea is the saltiest of all on the territory Russian Federation... It is adjacent to, but almost 16 times larger than it. The waters are full different kinds fish due to the fact that the water temperature in summer is about 12 degrees Celsius. This attracts many marine organisms, which, in turn, lure predatory fish.
The Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan, with a salinity of 35 ‰, is in 6th place in our rating.
This sea is located between the continent of Eurasia and the Japanese islands. Also, its waters wash Sakhalin Island. The Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan is considered one of the saltiest seas in the world. The water temperature differs depending on the geographic location: in the north - 0 - + 12 degrees, in the south - 17-26 degrees Celsius. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan is over 1 million square kilometers.
The Ionian Sea exceeds our record holder in salinity by 3 ‰.
This is the densest and saltiest Greek sea. Its waters allow poorly swimming people to hone this skill, as the high density will help keep the body afloat. IN summer period the water warms up to 26 degrees above zero. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Ionian Sea is 169 thousand square kilometers.
Aegean Sea with 38.5 ‰ salinity.
This sea is ranked 4th in our ranking. Its waters with a high concentration of sodium can irritate the human skin. Therefore, after bathing in it, you should take a fresh shower. In summer, the water warms up to 24 degrees Celsius. Its waters wash the shores of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the island of Crete. The Aegean Sea is more than 20 thousand years old and has an area of \u200b\u200b179 thousand square kilometers.
The Mediterranean Sea has a salinity of 39.5 ‰.
Red Sea with a salinity of 42 ‰.
It is located between the shores of Africa and Asia. Warm waters all year round provide favorable conditions for many fish and other marine organisms. The Red Sea, in addition to salinity and warmth, boasts. Many tourists love to relax on its shore.
The Dead Sea has a record salinity of 270 ‰.
Israel is home to the saltiest on our planet. Its 270 270 salinity makes it the densest on Earth. Saturation with minerals helps people treat all kinds of ailments, but you should not stay in the water for too long - this can adversely affect the human skin.
Mikhail Ilyin
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Everyone knows firsthand that the water in the sea is salty. But to answer the question of which sea is the saltiest on the planet, most people will most likely find it difficult. However, hardly a person thought about why the sea is salty and whether there is life in the saltiest sea in the world.
The World Ocean is a single whole natural organism. On the planet, they occupy two-thirds of the entire earth's space. Well, seawater, which fills the world's oceans, is considered the most common substance on the Earth's surface. It has a bitter-salty taste, it differs from fresh sea water in transparency and color, specific gravity and aggressive effect on materials. The explanation is simple - there are more than 50 different components in seawater.
The saltiest seas in the world
Which seas are saltier, which ones are less - scientists know for sure. The liquid in the seas has already been studied and literally decomposed into its 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 saltiest is the Barents Sea. This is because during the year the salinity of the surface layers fluctuates in the region of 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 has stalled at 26 percent, but at depth it rises to 31 percent. In the Kara Sea, salinity is about 34 percent, however, it is heterogeneous and at the mouths of the flowing rivers, the water becomes almost fresh. Another one of the saltiest seas in the world is the Laptev Sea. At the surface, salinity is recorded at 28 percent. The indicator 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, the beloved Mediterranean Sea can also compete for the status of the saltiest in the world. Its salinity 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 find seals, sea turtles, 550 fish species, 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 fauna - 1809 species. The sea is home to most of the world's sturgeon stocks, as well as freshwater fish (pike perch, carp and roach). The flora is also very rich - there are 728 plant species in the Caspian, but algae, of course, predominate. An interesting fact, Karakalpakstan has a unique natural object - Aral Sea. And its distinctive feature is that it can be called the second By the dead sea... Half a century ago, the Aral Sea had a standard salinity. However, as soon as water from the sea began to be taken for irrigation of land, salinity began to rise, and by 2010 it had increased 10 times. The Dead Sea is called not only for its salinity, but also because many inhabitants of the Aral Sea died out in protest against the increase in salinity.
Why are the seas salty
Why are the seas 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 are found 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 girls trapped in Neptune's net are forced to weave white lace for the waves at the bottom for centuries and constantly cry about their native land. The water became salty from the tears. 
But the scientific hypothesis is that salt water has taken 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, each 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 in the oceans is being washed. 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 on the earth 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 appeared salty water, which now fills the World Ocean.
The saltiest sea in the world
The saltiest sea in the world is called the Red Sea. One liter of its water contains 41 grams of salt. The sea has only one source of water intake - the Gulf of Aden. For a year through the Bab-El Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea receives a thousand cubic kilometers of water more than is carried out from 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 are cooled, sink down, raising warm waters from deep sea... In summer, the water from the surface evaporates, the remaining water becomes salty and heavy, and therefore sinks down. Not so salty water rises upward. Thus, the water is mixed. The sea is the same in salinity and temperature everywhere, except for depressions.
By the way, the discovery of hot brine depressions in the Red Sea 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 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 indicators.
In the Red Sea, there is no coastal runoff (rivers and rain flows). As a result, there is no dirt from the land, but the crystal transparency of the water. All year round the temperature is kept at 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 saltiest is the Dead Sea. Its salinity is 40 times higher than the salinity of the Baltic Sea and 8 times Atlantic Ocean... However, it is impossible to call the Dead Sea the saltiest, but it is considered the warmest.
The Dead Sea is located in Jordan and Israel in Western Asia. Its area is over 605 square kilometers with a maximum depth of 306 meters. The only river, the Jordan, flows into this famous sea. The sea has no outlet, therefore, according to science, it is more correct to call it a lake.
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Answer from Natalia [guru]
According to 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, the so-called normal water with a salinity close to 35 ‰ is produced.
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 in the world: 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%, an average of 28% (for comparison, in the Mediterranean Sea - 4%).
Barents 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 zone 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
The salinity of sea water decreases from the Danish straits, connecting the Baltic Sea with the salty North, 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
large inflow of river waters and insignificant exchange with the Barents Sea resulted in a relatively low salinity of the sea surface waters (26 ppm and below). The salinity of deep waters is much higher - up to 31 ppm.
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Sometimes this question is answered: "Dead Sea". This is the wrong answer. Although this body of water is called the sea, in fact, the Dead Sea has no drain and is thus a lake. And argues for the palm in the salty competition lakes the world.
And the most salty sea is the Red Sea. It is located in a tectonic depression up to 3 km deep between the Arabian Peninsula and the African continent, being the inland sea of \u200b\u200bthe Indian Ocean. The climate here is very hot and dry, therefore, on the one hand, precipitation is very rare (no more than 100 mm per year), and evaporation from the sea surface is strong (2000 mm per year). Not a single river flows into the Red Sea, and the water deficit is replenished from the Gulf of Aden (in the south). As a result, the salt content in 1 liter of the Red Sea water reaches 41 g (41 ‰). For comparison: in the Mediterranean Sea, with which Krasnoe connects through the Suez Canal, the salt concentration is 25 g / l.
Geographical position Red sea
(physical map)
Due to the fact that rivers do not flow into the Red Sea, the water in it is crystal clear and transparent, because the rivers carry silt and sand with them. Thanks to the hot climate off the coast of Egypt and the warming of the sea "from below" by the warmth of the planet's core, the water temperature even in winter does not drop below + 20 ° C, and in summer it reaches + 27 ° C. Therefore, the animal and vegetable world the region is distinguished by its rare diversity and beauty, making the Red Sea one of the most picturesque places on the planet. Particularly attractive to the Red Sea is the extensive coral "gardens" that can be seen without even sailing far from the coast. Corals contribute to the purification of the crystal clear sea water by constantly filtering it. In total, there are more than a thousand species of fish, and about 30% of them are endemic (that is, they are found only in local waters).
The underwater world of the Red Sea
The reason for this phenomenon is in the geological processes in the Red Sea region. Many years ago it was connected with Mediterranean Sea narrow channel. Then, as continents formed and moved, this channel closed, and the Red Sea was completely isolated by land from other waters. The inhabitants of the sea, cut off from their relatives, began to adapt to new living conditions. Later, in the south of the Red Sea, a narrow strait into the Indian Ocean, Bab El Mandeb, was formed. This is the narrowest and shallowest place in the Red Sea and today remains a barrier to the movement of marine animals from sea to ocean and back.
The water in the Red Sea mixes very well and evenly. In winter, surface waters cool down, become denser and sink, and warm waters rise from the depths. In summer, water evaporates from the sea surface, and the remaining water becomes saltier, heavier and sinks down. Less salty water rises in its place. Thus, all year round, the water in the sea is intensively mixed, and throughout its volume (except for depressions) the sea is the same in temperature and salinity.
Eilat resort on the Red Sea coast (Israel)
In the 60s of the 20th century, depressions with hot brines were discovered in the Red Sea. At the moment, more than 20 such depressions are known. The brine temperature in them is in the range of 30-60 ° C and rises by 0.3-0.7 ° C per year. This means that the depressions are heated from below by the internal heat of the Earth. Observers who have plunged into depressions in underwater vehicles say that brines do not merge with the surrounding water, but clearly differ from it and look like muddy soil covered with ripples, or like swirling fog. Chemical analyzes showed that the content of many metals in brines, including precious ones, is hundreds and thousands of times higher than in ordinary seawater.