Salinity - Dissolved Salts, Measuring Salinity

When we measure the salinity of water, we look at how much dissolved salt is in
the water, or the concentration of salt in the water. Concentration is the amount
(by weight) of salt in water and can be expressed in parts per million (ppm). Here
are the classes of water:
Fresh water - less than 1,000 ppm
Slightly saline water - From 1,000 ppm to 3,000 ppm
Moderately saline water - From 3,000 ppm to 10,000 ppm
Highly saline water - From 10,000 ppm to 35,000 ppm
Ocean water has a salinity that is approximately 35,000 ppm. That's the same as
saying ocean water is about 3.5% salt. Sometimes, salinity is measured in
different units. Another common unit is the psu (practical salinity units). Ocean
water has a salinity of approximately 35 psu. Scientists measure salinity using a
CTD instrument (CTD = conductivity, temperature, depth).
Ocean water is about 3.5% salt. That means that if the oceans dried up
completely, enough salt would be left behind to build a 180-mile-tall, one- milethick wall around the equator. About 90 percent of that salt would be sodium
chloride, or ordinary table salt. Chlorine, sodium and the other major dissolved
salts of the ocean are listed in this table:
Dissolved salts in
sea water (atoms):
55.3 % Chlorine
30.8 % Sodium
3.7 % Magnesium
2.6 % Sulfur
1.2 % Calcium
1.1 % Potassium