The salinity of the oceans averages 35% . . . but some of the water frozen at the poles must be frozen sea water, as opposed to frozen fresh water that has fallen as snow and condensed to ice. Has the average salinity of the ice caps ever been determined? Perhaps by testing an iceberg?
2006-11-20 05:47:24 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The salinity is low as most of the frozen water is fresh. Even the sea ice de-salinates as it freezes to an extent (losing the salt into the ocean).
2006-11-20 06:01:11 · answer #1 · answered by creviazuk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The process is called expression. When water freezes, the salt is excluded. This happens because the water does not freeze instantly into a block, but slowly and in stages. In between you get a slush where ice crystals float in liquid water. Salt (dissolved) will basically migrate into the water, making it more saline, and the ice less so.
It is feasible to have saline polar ice, but it would have to be solely of marine origin, and the temperature would have to be bloody cold to freeze the sea quick.
2006-11-24 02:39:30 · answer #2 · answered by Steve A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ice is fresh water that is very low in salinity even though it is frozen from the ocean.
2006-11-20 05:55:59 · answer #3 · answered by JimZ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the salinity is zero, because is fresh water
2006-11-20 06:32:58 · answer #4 · answered by Manuel Alejandro E 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Shouldn't drink and read stuff.. I thought this was asking if the ice caps were sane...lol
2006-11-20 05:55:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
not entirely sur but this site has most things you would wish to know about the cold bits on the planet:
http://nsidc.org/
2006-11-20 05:52:54 · answer #6 · answered by dave a 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋