Salinity

Salinity is the amount of salt in water. When water has a lot of salt, we call it saline water. You can taste it and feel how salty it is.

Salinity is important for nature. It helps decide how water moves and works. Together with temperature and pressure, salinity helps make water denser or lighter. This helps oceans move and share heat with the air.

Water can have different amounts of salt. Fresh water has very little salt, like in rivers and lakes. Brackish water has a bit more salt, and brine has the most salt. Here is a simple chart showing these:

Salinity also helps scientists understand how oceans work. They draw lines on maps called isohalines to show where salinity stays the same. This helps them study how salt moves in oceans and lakes.