Surface Salinity of the Oceans

Sources of sea salts
Chemical weathering of rocks
Outgassing – gases from volcanic eruptions
Processes affecting seawater salinity
Variations in salinity are a consequence of changes in the water content of the solution

Processes affecting seawater salinity
Processes that decrease salinity (add water)
Precipitation
Runoff from land
Icebergs melting
Sea ice melting
Processes that increase salinity (remove water)
Evaporation
Formation of sea ice

Processes affecting seawater salinity
Surface salinity in the open ocean ranges from 33‰ to 38‰