FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SALINITY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AND NORTH PACIFIC OCEANS

• Main Author: Niels Aage Skov
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1965
• Subjects: Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1031.1347; http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/27935/SkovNielsAage1965.pdf%3Bjsessionid%3DCBF1F6B3570C7A8FCE21D89E14CD9AEE?sequence%3D1

Abstract approved or professo The possible causes underlying the salinity difference between the N. Atlantic and N. Pacific oceans are examined. The major salt element, Cl, is considered representative of salinity, based on the Law of reLative proportions. Physical means by which Cl and/or wa-ter are added to or withdrawn from the ocean basins--evaporation, precipitation, runoff, drifting ice, atmospheric transport and cur-rents--are evaluated quantitatively after collating the most recent data available. Atlantic data allow some verification of totals by simultaneous Cl-water budgeting, while Pacific equatorial data are too sparse for effective use of this method. Findings are inconclusive as to the true cause(s) for the salin-ity difference, but relative magnitudes of the contributing factors are established and illustrate the dominance of current influence.