This image shows a generalized salinity-depth profile for the South Atlantic Ocean.
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Standard Salinity Profile

This is a salinity versus depth profile for ocean water. This salinity versus depth profile is typical of the South Atlantic ocean. Salinity versus depth profiles at other locations in the ocean could look quite different.

In this profile, salinity at the surface is high (evaporation at this latitude is high) and then salinity decreases until a depth of about 1,000 meters. Salinity then increases again slightly with increasing depth.

The halocline is a layer of water where the salinity changes rapidly with depth.

Last modified January 12, 2011 by Jennifer Bergman.

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