List of the saltiest seas in the world. Why is the sea salty? Which seas are the saltiest list

Sea water, having dissolved a lot of chemical compounds billions of years ago, was transformed into a solution containing many unique microcomponents. One of the main characteristics sea ​​water- its salinity. The Mediterranean Sea is the saltiest on the planet after the Red Sea.

A little history

The Mediterranean Sea, according to scientists, was once part of the Tethys, an ancient ocean that stretched from America to Asia.

Five million years ago, due to a severe drought, the sea consisted of many lakes and began to flood only after the end of the drought, many years later. This was facilitated by a gigantic waterfall, which cut the barrier that served as a barrier between the sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Gradually, as the sea filled with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, this obstacle disappeared, and the Strait of Gibraltar was formed.

Characteristic

The Mediterranean Sea is located between Africa and Europe, and its outlines are constantly changing. To date:

• its area is 2.5 million km 2;
• water volume - 3.6 million km 3;
• average depth - 1541 m;
• maximum depth reaches 5121 m;
• water transparency 50-60 m;
• the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea in some places reaches 3.95%;
• total annual 430 km 3 .

This is one of the warmest and saltiest areas of the World Ocean.

The Mediterranean Sea received its name from its location among the lands that made up the entire world known to the ancients. The sea in the middle of the Earth - that’s what the ancient Greeks called it, the Romans called it the Inland Sea, or Ours . Big green water - this is how the ancient Egyptians dubbed the reservoir.

Water composition

Sea water is not just H 2 O, but a solution of a myriad of substances, where many are combined in various formulas chemical elements. Of these, the largest amount is chlorides (88.7%), among which the leader is NaCl - ordinary table salt. Sulfuric acid salts - 10.8%, and only 0.5% of the rest of the water composition is formed by other substances. These proportions determine the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea. The indicator is 38‰. This allows you to receive table salt from sea water by evaporating it.

Over the course of many years of development of life on Earth, sea water became a supplier of salt, transforming into salt layers. Some of the largest in Europe are located in Sicily - the largest

Salt deposits can form at different depths, which sometimes reach 1 km, and in some cases these are salt lakes at the level of the Earth's surface - the Uyuni salt marsh, a dry salt lake.

Oceanographers have found that the World Ocean contains 48 quadrillion tons of salt, and even with its constant extraction, the composition of sea water will not change.

Salinity concept

When determining the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as other bodies of water, the mass of salts in grams contained in one kilogram of sea water is taken into account.

It is calculated in ppm and is due to the fact that a large volume of river water or melted continental glaciers enters the seas. Low salinity equatorial zone caused by tropical rains, which desalinate the water.

Salinity changes with increasing depth. Beyond 1500 meters there is practically no water.

To take a sample and measure it, special samplers are used, which allow you to take samples from different depths and from different water layers.

Where does so much salt come from in sea water?

For some time, scientists were of the opinion that the salt was brought by rivers, but this hypothesis was not confirmed. The only assumption that is now held is that the ocean became salty during the process of its birth and transformation, since ancient animals could not live in fresh or slightly salty water. At the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, near the Greek city of Zakynthos, organized structures were found that were more than three million years old, but what the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea water was in those distant times in percentage is unknown.

Academician V.I. Vernadsky believed that sea inhabitants - animals and plants - extracted silicon salts and carbon dioxide from the depths of the sea, which were brought by rivers to form their shells, skeletons and shells. And as they died, these same compounds settled on the seabed in the form of organic sediments. Thus, sea ​​life For centuries, the salt composition of sea water has remained unchanged.

What causes salinity?

All seas are part of the ocean. But there are seas that break deep into the land and are connected to the ocean only by a narrow strait. These seas include:

• Mediterranean;
• Black;
• Azovskoe;
• Baltic;
• Red.

All of them can be either very salty, because they are influenced by hot air, or almost fresh due to the rivers flowing into them, which dilute them with their water.

The salinity of the Black and Mediterranean Seas is greatly influenced by the hot climate.

Despite the fact that the Black Sea is located in the Mediterranean basin and is connected to it by the shallow Bosporus, it has a lower salinity. The indicator is lower not only as a result of difficult water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean, but also due to a significant amount of precipitation and the influx of continental waters. In the open part of the sea, this indicator varies from 17.5‰ to 18‰, and in the coastal strip of the North-Western region it is below 9‰.

The salinity of the seas differs from the salinity of ocean waters, which is due to the free exchange of water between the seas and the ocean, water flow and the influence of climate. On the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, water salinity increases from the Strait of Gibraltar to the coasts of Egypt and Syria, and near Gibraltar it reaches 36‰.

Climate

Due to the location of the Mediterranean Sea in the subtropical zone, the Mediterranean climate prevails here: hot summers and mild winters. The January air temperature on the northern coasts of the sea is around +8...+10 °C, and on the southern coast it is +14...+16 °C. The hottest month is August, when Maximum temperature off the east coast it reaches +28...+30 °C. Winds blow over the sea all year round, and in winter cyclones from the Atlantic invade, generating storms.

The sirocco, a sultry wind that carries a lot of dust, breaks through from the African deserts and the temperature often reaches +40°C and above. All these factors affect the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea, increasing its percentage due to water evaporation.

Fauna

The fauna of the Mediterranean Sea is characterized by great species diversity. This is due to the favorable environment and centuries-old history. More than 550 species of fish live here, 70 of which live in a limited range.

Huge schools concentrate here during winter, and in other seasons the individuals stay scattered, especially during spawning or fattening. To achieve this, numerous species of fish migrate to the Black Sea.

The southeastern region of the Mediterranean Sea, influenced by the flow of the Nile River, is one of the most fruitful. The waters of the Nile generously supplied sea water big amount nutrients and suspended minerals, which affected the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea.

But in the early sixties, the Aswan Hydroelectric Power Station was built, as a result of which the river flow and redistribution of water throughout the year sharply decreased. This significantly worsened the living conditions of marine species, and their numbers decreased. As the desalination zone decreased, useful salts began to flow into the sea in smaller volumes. This led to a significant reduction in the amount of zoo- and phytoplankton; accordingly, the number of fish (sardines, mackerel, horse mackerel, etc.) decreased and fishing was reduced.

Unfortunately, pollution of the Mediterranean Sea is increasing in direct proportion to the development of technological progress, and the environmental situation is causing concern among scientists. Let's hope that all caring people will unite and preserve the wealth of the marine world for posterity.

Everyone knows firsthand that the water in the sea is salty. But most people will most likely find it difficult to answer the question of which sea is the saltiest on the planet. However, hardly a person thought about why the sea is salty and whether there is life in the saltiest sea in the world.

1. Dead Sea

Salinity 270‰ The Dead Sea is the saltiest in the world, which is located on the border of Israel and Jordan. The mineral content is about 270 ‰, and the salt concentration per 1 liter reaches 200 grams. The composition of the salts of the sea differs significantly from all others. It consists of 50% magnesium chloride, and is also rich in potassium, bromine, calcium and many other mineral elements. Potassium salts are artificially crystallized from its water. The water here has the highest density, which is 1.3-1.4 g/m³, which completely eliminates the possibility of drowning.

In addition to unique salts, the sea contains healing mud, which contains 45% salts. Its features are a high pH value of 9, as well as a bitter and oily taste. Sea temperatures can reach 40 degrees above zero, which creates intense evaporation and contributes to high density. If in other waters with high salinity there are diverse inhabitants, then in the waters of the Dead Sea it is impossible to meet them.

There are about 73 seas on Earth. They are part of the World Ocean. All objects are divided into various classifications. One of the criteria is the salinity of the water. Depending on this indicator, objects are divided into highly and lightly salted. The saltiest sea in the world has been established. It is the Red Sea. Several objects have a controversial status. They are not classified as seas, but according to a number of indicators they are salt lakes. This applies to the Dead and Aral Seas. The latter is almost completely dry.

In Russia, even bodies of water that are part of the Arctic Ocean are characterized by a high content of sodium chloride. The territory of the Russian Federation is washed by one object in which the salt level exceeds similar indicators in other seas. It is located in the east of the country. This is the Sea of ​​Japan. The salinity of its waters ranges from 33.7% to 34.3%. This value is lower than in the waters of the World Ocean. But in fact, this is the saltiest sea in Russia. This object is part of Pacific Ocean. It washes the territories of not only Russia, but also Japan, as well as two Koreas.

In the Russian Federation there are lakes in which the concentration of salts is regarded as very high. One of them is Bearish. This salt lake is analogous Dead Sea in Russia. It is located on the territory of the Kurgan region. Medvezhye is located in the interfluve of two reservoirs - Tobol and Ishim. The salt concentration in it reaches 360 g/l.

High mineralization rates are also observed in lakes Elton and Baskunchak. The first is located in the Volgograd region, the second in the Astrakhan region. In Elton, the average salt concentration is 279 g/l, and in some places 500 g/l. In Baskunchak - 300 g/l.

Top 10 saltiest seas in the world

The mineralization indicator in a separate object is determined based on the sodium chloride content in a liter of water. Researchers continue to debate which is the saltiest sea in the world. A number of scientists classify some objects as lakes and do not consider them in any other status.

The list of the saltiest seas in the world includes:

• Dead;
• Red;
• Mediterranean;
• Aegean;
• Ionic;
• Japanese;
• Barentsevo;
• Laptev;
• Chukotka;
• White.

Half of the objects on the list wash the shores of Russia. The status of the first on the list continues to be disputed.

Dead Sea

This object is considered an endorheic lake in Israel, as well as Palestine and Jordan. Average level minerals in the waters of the facility is 265 ppm. This value allows us to consider it one of the saltiest lakes in the world. At the same time, it is not too large in size: the length is 67 km, and the width is 18. The maximum depth is 306 meters. The Caspian is generally recognized as the largest salt lake in the world.

Red sea

This object is located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. He is part of Indian Ocean. Its area is 450 thousand km2. It has the status of the saltiest on the planet.

The object is unique in that no rivers flow into it. There are 41 g of salts per liter of water. Even the open ocean contains only 34 grams of minerals. But the saltiest lake in the world (Dead) significantly exceeds the Red Sea in sodium chloride concentration. In the first, the salt level is 260-350 ppm, in the second - 41.

Mediterranean

Located between the African continent and Europe. Its area is 2.5 million km2. In some places the depth exceeds 5 km. It is among the top 3 objects of the World Ocean in terms of salinity. Its value fluctuates in the range of 36-39.5%.

The Mediterranean Sea also has the status of the warmest. In the eastern part it can warm up to 300C. Even in winter period in its northern part the water temperature does not fall below 80C.

Video: The saltiest sea in the world The Red Sea

Aegean

Is semi-closed. It washes Turkey and Greece. It is considered one of the saltiest. The mineralization of its waters is 37-39 ppm. In some places the salt concentration reaches 40%. It is the oldest body of water on the planet. Its age exceeds 20 thousand years.

Ionian

It is part of the Mediterranean, located between the Balkans and the Apennines and the islands of Sicily and Crete. Salinity reaches 38 ppm. This allows it to be included in the top 5 objects of the World Ocean in terms of mineralization level.

Japanese Sea

It is considered the saltiest in Russia. The sodium chloride content in it reaches 34.3 ppm. The area exceeds 1 thousand km2. The most great importance The depth of the object is 3.7 km. In the north, the reservoir is covered with ice.

The object is part of the Arctic Ocean. It washes the coastal zones of Norway and the Russian Federation. The area in the southwest does not freeze due to the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current.

The salinity of the reservoir is uneven. Its highest values ​​are observed in the southwestern part and amount to 35 ppm. Less salinity is observed in the north - no higher than 33. The salinity of the object changes with the change of seasons. In summer in the coastal zone it does not exceed 32 ppm, and in winter it increases to 34.5.

Laptev

It washes the northern part of Siberia. Its area is 672 thousand km2. The highest salinity of the object is in its northwestern zone. In winter it reaches 34 ppm. In the south, salinity is much lower - no more than 25. In summer, the concentration of substances in sea water in the north drops to 32 ppm. In the south it ranges from 5 to 10. High salinity is observed in the depths of the waters. There its values ​​reach 33 ppm. The Laptev Sea is considered one of the most severe water bodies in terms of climate.

Chukotka

The object is also part of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between Alaska and the Chukotka Peninsula. Salinity of the reservoir in winter months ranges from 31 to 33 ppm. In summer its value drops to 28-32. At depth, mineralization increases. The reservoir has a harsh climate.

White Sea

The object washes the northern part European territory Russia. Due to the significant influx of water from rivers, it differs relatively high salinity. Its value is 26 ppm. In deep waters, salinity increases to 31.

Features of flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of the world's saltiest seas is diverse. The Dead Sea is almost completely lifeless. Neither fish, nor animals, nor plants live in it. Only higher mushrooms are adapted to high salinity.

The Red Sea is unique for its variety of corals. A large number of fish live there. Also found are bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, green turtles, sharks and moray eels.

The flora of the Mediterranean Sea is not very diverse. Its waters are dominated by various types of algae. Animal world represented by crayfish, turtles, stingrays, octopuses, crabs, squids, jellyfish and lobsters. There are over 540 species of fish there.

The flora of the Aegean and Ionian seas is identical to that of the Mediterranean. The fauna is diverse. The Aegean is rich in sponges, fish and octopuses, the Ionian - especially mackerel, flounder and tuna.

The fauna and flora of the Sea of ​​Japan is heterogeneous. In the north it is less diverse than in the south. Laminaria and sea anemones live there. The waters are rich in sea urchins and stars, scallops, and shrimp. In May there are crabs there.

Algae and plankton are common in the Barents Sea. There are also about 20 species of commercial fish. Previously introduced Kamchatka crab and snow crab are found there. The most common mammals are seals, beluga whales, polar bears and seals. There are numerous bird colonies along the coast.

The flora and fauna of the Laptev Sea are not very diverse. There are 39 types of fish living there. Sardines, flounder and cod are common. Mammals include seals, bearded seals, walruses and seals. Several dozen species of birds live here.

In the Chukchi Sea, the flora is sparse due to the severity of the climate. The most common animals are polar bears and walruses with seals. There are whales. The fish world is rich in polar cod and grayling.

How is water salinity measured?

The basic unit of this indicator is ppm. It refers to the amount of solid substances dissolved in a kilogram of sea water. Chemical analysis does not accurately measure the degree of mineralization of a liquid. Sea water is too complex in its composition. Its salinity is determined by the concentration of one of the elements of the composition, by electrical conductivity or refractive value. Based on these methods, a rating of sea salinity is compiled.

Video: Dead Sea. Israel

Summing up

The Dead Sea is considered the most mineralized sea in the world. A number of researchers classify it as a lake, which allows us to consider the Red Sea to be the leader in the rating. In Russia, the saltiest sea is the Sea of ​​Japan. The lake with the highest mineralization is Medvezhye.

Five seas from the top 10 rankings are considered northern waters. All of them wash the territory of the Russian Federation. The scarcest of animals and flora is the Dead Sea. In other objects there is a wide variety of fauna. The richest in flora is the Red Sea.

The Earth can be confidently called a water planet, because the World Ocean surrounding the land covers 71% of its entire surface. , included in its composition, differ from each other in many ways. Including such a parameter as salinity, which means the amount of salts dissolved in one liter of water under certain conditions. The salinity of sea water is most often measured in “‰” (ppm). Now it won’t be difficult to find out which is the saltiest sea on Earth.

5. Ionian Sea - salinity exceeds 38 ‰

The Ionian Sea is the part of the Mediterranean that washes the shores of southern Italy and Greece. The bottom of the sea is covered with silt, and closer to the shores - with sand and small shell rock. Its area is 169 thousand km², maximum depth is 5,121 m. This is the greatest depth in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Commercial fishing of mackerel, mullet, tuna, and flounder is carried out. The waters of the Ionian Sea are safe and very warm, even in February their temperature does not fall below 14°C, and at peak holiday season, in August, reaches 25.5°C. Among its inhabitants are bottlenose dolphins, huge turtles, and octopuses. And very dangerous sea urchins and white sharks can hardly be found near the coast. Poisonous dragon fish, which can cause an allergic reaction in humans, are more active at night and burrow into the sand during the day.

4. Aegean Sea - salinity from 37 to 40.0 ‰

This semi-enclosed sea has about 20,000 islands and is located in the eastern Mediterranean. total area- 179 thousand km². Through the straits it is connected to Mramorny, Cherny and Mediterranean seas. The salinity of its waters is increasing, which is associated with global warming. After swimming, it is recommended to rinse off the sea water, as this can negatively affect the condition of the skin and mucous membrane of the eyes. There is a fishing industry in the Aegean Sea; sponges are actively mined and octopuses are caught. Due to the fact that there is little plankton in this sea, fishing in its waters is gradually declining.

3. Ligurian Sea - salinity 38 ‰

This sea is located in the western part of the Mediterranean. The shores are steep and rocky, but there are sandy beaches. Many small rivers flow into the Ligurian Sea, which originate in the Apennines. On its shores there are such important ports as:

• Limpia, which is considered the sea gate of Nice.
• Cruise ports of Savona, La Spezia, with container and bulk terminals.
• Genoese port, ranking first in terms of trade volume in Italy.

Despite the high salinity of these waters, on the French-Italian coast of the Ligurian Sea is located one of the most famous resort areas in the world - the Riviera.

2. Mediterranean Sea - salinity from 36 to 39.5 ‰

The Mediterranean Sea is a relic of the ancient Tethys Ocean. It is considered one of the largest seas in size, its area is 2.5 million km². Its basin includes the Sea of ​​Azov, Black and Marmara. The salinity of the sea fluctuates significantly, as water with a much lower salinity enters from the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar. The amount of zooplankton in the Mediterranean Sea is relatively small, and as a result there are few various types fish, as well as marine animals and mammals. But in large quantities algae are represented, especially peridinea and diatoms. The bottom fauna is very poor due to yellowish silt, which is not conducive to the development of life. There are 550 species of fish in the Mediterranean Sea, 70 of which are endemic. The most common species are: mackerel, sardine, horse mackerel, mullet, etc. There are also larger “inhabitants” - sharks, rays, tuna. Edible shellfish are common.

1. Red Sea - salinity 41 ‰

The saltiest of all, the Red Sea is located in a tectonic depression, the depth of which can reach 3 km. It is an inland sea of ​​the Indian Ocean. The hot climate, which provokes strong surface evaporation and low precipitation (about 100 mm per year), and the absence of rivers flowing into the sea, leads to a gradual increase in its salinity. Due to the absence of silt and sand, which are abundant in river water, the Red Sea is distinguished by its extraordinary transparency and cleanliness. The water temperature even in winter is +20 °C, and in summer it is much higher.

Despite its salinity, the waters of the Red Sea amaze with the huge number of different species of fish living in it. But ichthyologists believe that only 60% of fish capable of existing at great depths have been discovered. The sea is extremely beautiful, and it has many interesting and sometimes funny inhabitants, but touching them is strictly prohibited. Corals, sponges, jellyfish, and sea ​​urchins, moray eels and venomous sea snakes are potentially extremely dangerous. Any contact with them can result in a burn, significant blood loss or severe allergic reaction, and sometimes fatal. 44 species of sharks live in warm sea waters. The most terrible of them is the tiger, which can easily attack a person.

Having examined them separately, it is now easy to conclude which is the saltiest sea. The salinity of the very famous Dead Sea reaches 350 ‰, but in fact, despite its name, it is an endorheic lake that is gradually drying up.

Rating of seas by salinity

There are about 80 seas on our planet. Of course, the Dead Sea would take first place in the ranking, since its waters are famous for their salinity. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth, salinity is 300-310 ‰, in some years up to 350 ‰. But scientists call this body of water a lake.

1. Red Sea with a salinity of 42‰.

The Red Sea is located between the shores of Africa and Asia. The Red Sea, in addition to its salinity and warmth, boasts its transparency. Many tourists love to relax on its shores.

2. The Mediterranean Sea has a salinity of 39.5‰.

The Mediterranean Sea washes the shores of Europe and Africa. In addition to salinity, it can also boast of its warm waters - in summer they warm up to 25 degrees above zero.

3. Aegean Sea with a salinity of 38.5‰.

The waters of this sea with a high concentration of sodium can cause skin irritation. Therefore, after swimming it is better to take a fresh shower. In summer, the water warms up to 24 degrees Celsius. Its waters wash the shores of the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the island of Crete.

4 . Ionian Sea with a salinity of 38 ‰.

This is the densest and saltiest Greek sea. Its waters allow slow swimmers to hone this skill, as the high density will help keep the body afloat. The area of ​​the Ionian Sea is 169 thousand square kilometers. It washes the shores of Southern Italy, Albania and Greece.

5 . The Sea of ​​Japan, whose salinity is 35‰

The sea is located between the continent of Eurasia and the Japanese islands. Its waters also wash the island of Sakhalin. Water temperature depends on geographical location: in the north – 0 -+12 degrees, in the south – 17-26 degrees. The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Japan is more than 1 million square kilometers.

6. Barents Sea with salinity 34.7-35 ‰

This is the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Norway.

7. Laptev Sea with a salinity of 34‰.

Area - 662 thousand square kilometers. It is located between the New Siberian Islands and Severnaya Zemlya. Average annual temperature water - 0 degrees Celsius.

8. Chukchi Sea with a salinity of 33‰.

In winter, the salinity of this sea rises to 33‰, while in summer the salinity decreases slightly. The Chukchi Sea has an area of ​​589.6 thousand km². average temperature in summer - 12 degrees Celsius, and in winter - almost 2 degrees Celsius.

9. White Sea also has high salinity. In the surface layers the figure stopped at 26 percent, but at depth it increases to 31 percent.

10. Laptev Sea. Salinity at the surface is recorded at 28 percent

The sea has a harsh climate with temperatures below 0°C for more than nine months of the year, sparse flora and fauna, and low population along the coast. Most of the time, with the exception of August and September, it is under ice. The salinity of sea water at the surface in the northwestern part of the sea in winter is 34 ‰ (ppm), in the southern part - up to 20-25 ‰, decreasing in summer to 30-32 ‰ and 5-10 ‰, respectively. Strong influence on salinity surface waters are influenced by melting ice and runoff of Siberian rivers.