Group 4:

Dela Torre, Krishia Mae

Lacanaria, John Theo
Maniti, Joshua

Assignment 6
Water Salinity

Definition of Salinity:

The term "salinity" refers to the concentrations of salts in water or soils.

Source of Salt in our Water Resources

Salt in the ocean comes from rocks on land. From precipitation to the land to the rivers to
the sea, the rain that falls on the land contains some dissolved carbon dioxide from the
surrounding air. This causes the rainwater to be slightly acidic due to carbonic acid. The rain
physically erodes the rock and the acids chemically break down the rocks and carries salts and
minerals along in a dissolved state as ions. The ions in the runoff are carried to the streams and
rivers and then to the ocean.
Types of Salinity

1. Primary Salinity - Primary salinity occurs naturally in soils and waters. It is produced by
natural processes such as weathering of rocks or wind and rain depositing salt over
thousands of years.

2. Secondary Salinity - Secondary salinity is salting that results from human activities,
usually land development and agriculture. 

How to measure salinity:

Most common method is by using a sensor that measures the electrical conductivity of the
water because the saltier the water, the better it gets in conducting electricity.

In terms of visualization, you can still think of salinity as the amount of salt in grams
dissolved in a kilograms or liter of water.

What affects the salinity?

1. Evaporation- Evaporation increases the salinity of seawater because when seawater

evaporates, the salts are left behind, thus increasing their concentration.
2. Precipitation - Precipitation and river input decrease salinity because the input of
freshwater dilutes the salts in seawater, thus decreasing their concentration.
 3. Ice Melting - When ice melts, the input of freshwater dilutes the salt content and reduces
the salinity.
4. Ice Formation - When ice forms, it occludes (leaves behind) the salt, thus increasing the
salinity of seawater.

Why Salinity Is Important?

Salinity can affect the density of ocean water: Water that has higher salinity is denser and
heavier and will sink underneath less saline, warmer water. This can affect the movement of
ocean currents. It can also affect marine life, which may need to regulate its intake of saltwater.

Different Classification of Water According to their Salt Content

1. Fresh Water
Salinity Level: < 0.05%
Freshwater is water that contains only minimal quantities of dissolved salts, thus
distinguishing it from sea water or brackish water. All freshwater ultimately comes from
precipitation of atmospheric water vapor, reaching inland lakes, rivers, and groundwater
bodies directly, or after melting of snow or ice.
2. Brackish Water
Salinity Level: 0.05% to 3%

Brackish water is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as
seawater. It is a mix of fresh water and saline water. It occurs where oceans meet
outwardly flowing rivers and streams. Examples of brackish water include estuaries,
mangrove swamps, and salt marshes.
 3. Saline Water
Salinity Level: 3% to 5%
Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high
concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). Humans cannot drink saline
water, but, saline water can be made into freshwater, for which there are many uses. The
process is called "desalination", and it is being used more and more around the world to
provide people with needed freshwater.

4. Briny Water
Salinity Level: > 5% up to 26% to 28% max
Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). These are
found in brine pools sometimes called an underwater, deep-water or brine lake. It is a
volume of brine collected in a seafloor depression. The pools are dense bodies of water
that have a salinity that is three to eight times greater than the surrounding ocean. Brine
pools are commonly found below polar sea ice and in the deep ocean. Those below sea
ice form through a process called brine rejection. For deep-sea brine pools, salt is
necessary to increase the salinity gradient.

DEAD SEA

The Dead Sea is a Salt Lake located in the Judean desert of southern Israel bordered by Jordan to
the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main
tributary is the Jordan River. The lake's surface is 430.5 meters (1,412 ft) below sea level,
making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2%
(in 2011), it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water– 9.6 times as salty as the ocean – and
has a density of 1.24 kg/liter, which makes swimming similar to floating. This salinity makes for
a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea's
main, northern basin is 50 kilometers (31 mi) long and 15 kilometers (9 mi) wide at its widest
point.

What minerals are in the Dead Sea?

The Dead Sea is globally renowned for the therapeutic effect of the minerals in its waters and
mud, which are especially high in concentration. Dead Sea minerals in the water and mud have
helped improve various skin conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and acne.

Why is the Dead Sea so salty?

With its very first origins in sea water flooding into the valley from the Mediterranean, some of
what makes the Dead Sea salty is the gradual evaporation of water over the years, due to the
desert climate. Its salt content is derived from the erosion of rocks on land, with their salt ions
driven by rivers into the landlocked lake. Its extremely low elevation means that water cannot
escape the Dead Sea once it enters, and exposed to the intense heat, the water evaporates more
quickly, leading to an intense salinity.

Why do you float in the Dead Sea?

One of the main must-do activities on all tourists’ lists is floating in the Dead Sea. Because of the
high concentration of salt, the water is much denser than plain fresh water, meaning that our
body weight is lighter – which causes us to float!

Dead Sea Salt Benefits

The minerals and salts exclusive to the Dead Sea have been luring visitors for thousands of
years, making it the world’s first health resort, dating back to the time of Herod. The high
concentration of antiseptic minerals in the mud and salt of the Dead Sea makes it especially
beneficial for skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. Covering the body in mud extracted
from the Dead Sea helps the minerals become absorbed into the skin.