Why Care About Ocean Salinity?

Stephen Riser
Stephen Riser
Professor
University of Washington

Dr. Riser's primary interests include the ocean's role in climate; circulation of the ocean and ocean/atmosphere/ice interactions through direct observations; and the interactions between physical aspects of circulation and the biogeochemical properties of the ocean.

Webinar Clip
What does it mean to have a "salty" ocean and why does it matter if salinity varies from place to place? In this video, Dr. Riser explains to viewers that ocean salinity is a mirror to the global water cycle. Salinity also plays a role in determining seawater density, which can determine where water travels throughout the oceans.

Full webinar: From Skin to Deep

Click here for a transcript of this clip (PDF, 50.6 KB).

Resources
Applicable Science Standards
  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems Asking Questions and Defining Problems. A practice of science is to ask and refine questions that lead to descriptions and explanations of how the natural and designed world(s) works and which can be empirically tested.
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