Which sea is the saltiest in the world?

August 22, 2019
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Artem Kolotushkin

There are more than 70 seas on our planet. And all of them are an insignificant but integral part of the World Ocean. Researchers classify them into a variety of categories: size, location, depth, etc. One of these categories is the level of salt content in the water. We have compiled the top 10 saltiest seas in the world, and we will also tell you how exactly the salinity of the water in them is measured and who can live in the waters of such objects.

Determination method

The unit of measurement for water salinity, as well as the level of alcohol in the blood, was called ppm by scientists. 1 ppm refers to the volume of solids that are dissolved in 1 kg of seawater. The problem is that the composition of water in the seas is quite complex for direct chemical analysis. To determine the level of salinity, the concentration of an element and electrical conductivity are taken as a basis. Or they start from the magnitude of refraction. Using this method, biologists were able to determine which seas are the saltiest in the world.

What is the easiest way to determine the salinity of the sea?

There is a relatively simple way to determine salinity; to conduct such a study at home, you will need dishes that are resistant to high temperatures, a heater and a scale where you can weigh substances in milligrams.

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When carrying out calculations, it should be remembered that the density of the Black Sea water, like any salt solution, is greater than the density of the waters of the Danube River, which means that a liter of sea water has a greater mass than a liter of river water.

Therefore, the calculations you make will be characterized by approximate figures. So, how much salt is there in the Black Sea? To do this, you need research material: collect 100 ml of sea water.

Then you need to place the water in a thick cup, heat it and boil it over low heat until it evaporates completely. As a result, a light-colored substance will remain on the bottom and walls of the cup. Assemble it carefully and determine the mass on the scale.

Relate the mass of the resulting substance to 100 ml of the tested water, then multiply by one hundred. The resulting number will show you the percentage of salinity of the Black Sea water

It is important to remember that salinity is also different in different parts of the sea and at different times.

White Sea

At the very end of our list is the White Sea. Its waters wash the north of the European part of our country. The salt level here remains at 26-28%. This low level is due to the fact that a huge number of rivers flow into the White Sea. At depth, mineralization can reach 31 ppm.

It is worth saying that the White Sea is one of the smallest that washes the shores of Russia. Its area barely exceeds 90,000 km2.

Fishing here is very developed: the average catch is around 2000 tons.

Chukchi Sea

In the waters of the Arctic Ocean, between Alaska and Chukotka, lies the Chukotka Sea, which ranks 9th in our ranking of the saltiest seas in the world, with an area of 590 km2. Given the geographical features, even in summer, the water temperature rarely rises above 12 °C. In winter, it even drops to 0 °C. But despite this, the salinity level here is slightly higher than that of the White Sea - 32-33 ppm.

The harsh climate that reigns in these latitudes also affects the inhabitants of the sea. Only the most resilient representatives of the fauna are able to survive in such conditions. Nevertheless, cod is the main object of fishing here.

The saltiest sea on the planet

The closer to the equator, the more salt is contained in sea water. However, this rule does not always apply. For example, in the Bay of Bengal of the Indian Ocean, in some places the salinity does not exceed 30-34‰. And this despite the hot climate almost all year round. This phenomenon is explained by the presence of large sources of fresh water. India's largest rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, flow into the Bay of Bengal. They “dilute” the water with fresh runoff.

If we talk about the saltiest part of the world's oceans, then this is, of course, the Red Sea. Also, an extremely large amount of salt is contained in the chemical composition of the waters of the neighboring Persian Gulf - up to 41-42‰.

Laptev sea

The huge sea (more than 670 square kilometers) washing the north of Siberia is called the Laptev Sea and ranks 8th in our ranking of the saltiest seas. In winter, the salinity of its waters fluctuates at 34%. But in the southern part it drops sharply to 25%, and with the arrival of summer it can even drop to 5 ppm. As in all other seas, the maximum level (35%) is observed in the depths.

An interesting fact: despite the fact that the water temperature rarely rises above 0 °C, the Laptev Sea is especially loved by surfers from all over the world due to the high level of coastal waves.

If you want to organize fishing in the Laptev Sea, then you will face complete failure. Only 40 species of fish live here. True, giant flounder and sardines of gigantic size are often found.

Barencevo sea

Another body of water that is part of the Arctic Ocean. The Barents Sea washes the shores of Norway and the Russian Federation. It is considered the most dangerous in our country.

Due to the influence of the warm current from the North Atlantic, the salinity of the water here is constantly changing. True, it fluctuates in a small range: from 33 to 35 ppm. The level also depends on seasonality: in summer it is slightly lower.

The flora of the Barents Sea is rich in plankton. It is also from this reservoir that Kamchatka crab is transported throughout the country. But be careful: you can find aggressive polar bears and seals on the coast.

Japanese Sea

Occupying a middle position on our list, the Sea of Japan confidently tops the list of the saltiest seas in Russia. Despite the gigantic area of 1000 km2, the level of NaCl (sodium chloride) in almost all its zones confidently remains at around 34%.

It is worth noting that the Sea of Japan is extremely cold. In the south, temperatures may drop below -27 °C. The average annual temperature ranges from -1...+13 °C.

The underwater world of the Sea of Japan is not stable. The northern part has much fewer inhabitants than the southern part. However, if you decide to enjoy large shrimp or scallops, the Sea of Japan will give you the opportunity. You can also find crabs on the coast at the end of spring.

What seas is Russia washed by?

13 seas in Russia , one of them is closed , and some scientists consider it a lake:

Caspian Sea
White Sea
Barencevo sea
Kara Sea
Laptev sea
East-Siberian Sea
Chukchi Sea
Bering Sea
Sea of Okhotsk
Japanese Sea
Black Sea
Baltic Sea
Sea of Azov

Baltic Sea

Ionian Sea

Finally we are transported to where it is warm. Let's start on the shores of Greece. The Ionian Sea is considered to be both the saltiest sea in this country (38 ppm) and the densest in the world. If you are just learning to swim, then this pond will be a real gift for you. The waters of the Ionian Sea literally push you to the surface. It is precisely because of the high level of density that you are unlikely to be able to reach the bottom on your own. In summer, the water is warm, about +27 °C. Winter and the end of the swimming season are marked by a drop in temperature to +15 °C.

List of seas

Where is the saltiest water on the planet? The answer to this question is very simple. Any high school student knows him. According to its chemical composition, the saltiest lake in the world is located in the Middle East. This is the well-known Dead. It is usually called the sea. It is located on the border between Israel and Jordan.

If you put the world’s saltiest seas into a list, it turns out that it often includes water areas where increased evaporation of the water surface is observed. They are usually located in the tropical zone. In addition, the salinity of the sea is affected by the lack of flow from large rivers or other constant replenishment of fresh water. For example, in the form of melting snow.

White Sea

According to hydrologists, the average salinity of the World Ocean is 35‰ (ppm). In practical terms, this is 35 grams per 1 liter or 3.5% of the total volume. The White Sea is not the saltiest in the world. The chemical composition of its water area contains only 30‰ salt. The reason for the moderate content of this mineral should be sought in the cool temperature and the presence of ice, the spring melting of which increases the freshness.

Chukotka

Compared to the White Sea, the water off the coast of Russia's farthest corner, the Chukotka Peninsula, contains slightly more salt. Here it is approximately 33‰. The increased salinity is explained by the fact that large rivers do not flow into the Chukchi Sea. This means that fresh water replenishment is provided only by melting ice.

Laptev sea

Despite the Arctic latitudes, the salinity here is quite high - 34‰. However, this applies only to the northern waters. The southern part of the Laptev Sea, where several large Siberian rivers flow at once, including the Lena, has a much lower percentage of salinity - from 20-25‰ in winter to 5-10‰ in summer. Thus, even if compared with the Baltic, where this figure is only 7‰, the presence of salt in the chemical composition of water here is one of the lowest.

Barencevo sea

Based on hydrological properties, the percentage of salinity in the local waters is considered high. This is explained by the influence of the warm Gulf Stream, due to which a significant part of the Barents Sea is not covered with ice, as well as the relatively small flow of the Pechora River. Because of this, it is rightfully called the saltiest sea in Russia. The percentage of salt in the water here is 35‰.

Japanese

Parts of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Russian Far East are not characterized by high or low salinity. This is explained by the fact that, unlike the shelf of the coastal Arctic, the Sea of Japan is many times deeper. Accordingly, the volume of water here is much larger. Therefore, the flow of the Amur River does not greatly affect the salinity of the Sea of Japan. This indicator here is at an average level – 33-34‰.

Ionian

If you pay attention to the expanses of water surrounding the European continent, it turns out that in the water area between Italy and Greece there are very salty waters, with a percentage of this mineral up to 38‰. The reason why the hydrology of the Ionian Sea has such unique properties is very simple. This is the absence of large rivers feeding the depths with fresh water, and high temperatures in the summer months.

Aegean

Greece is surrounded not only by beautiful nature, but also by an extremely salty sea. The salt content here is 38-40‰. This is almost a record figure for Europe. That is why all lovers of swimming in the Aegean Sea are recommended to wash themselves with fresh water or take a shower after going ashore. Otherwise, slight skin and eye irritation may occur. It's not dangerous, but unpleasant.

Mediterranean Sea

The hydrological properties of the Mediterranean are characterized by increased levels of salinity. In some coastal areas, in shallow water, it reaches 38.7‰. This is explained by the low water circulation through the Strait of Gibraltar. That is, the World Ocean here has much less influence in terms of updating its chemical composition.

Red

High temperatures and a large number of sunny days cause increased evaporation of water. This, in turn, leads to increased salinity. If there is no river flow, the situation becomes even worse. All of the above factors are among the reasons why the Red Sea is the saltiest in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that the percentage of salt in the local waters reaches 42‰.

Dead Sea

Every schoolchild heard in geography class that this is the largest salt lake in the world. Due to the peculiarities of the geological structure of this unique reservoir, the salinity of the water in it has a record value of 270‰. Therefore, there is no living life in the Dead Sea. You can swim in it, but after leaving the water you must take a shower. Otherwise, there is a risk of severe skin irritation.

Aegean Sea

The shores of Greece are washed by another sea - the Aegean. Researchers found a concentrated alkali level of 39.5% here. If you plan to swim in its waters, you should listen to the advice of dermatologists and use a special cream after completing the procedures. It would also be a good idea to douse yourself with fresh water to wash away the sodium that settles on the skin.

The sea is believed to have formed more than 20,000 years ago. True, what size the reservoir was at that time is unknown. Today, the Aegean Sea stretches over an area of 180,000 km2.

The underwater flora of the Aegean and Ionian seas is similar in many ways. Animals are different. If the Aegean abounds in octopus, then the Ionian is rich in flounder and tuna.

Mediterranean Sea

The top three winners on our list are the Mediterranean Sea. We all know it, many regularly visit its beaches, not even suspecting that the salinity level of its waters reaches 41 ppm.

The Mediterranean Sea stands out among others in several ways. Firstly, this is the warmest sea. Secondly, it is truly gigantic - its area is just over 2,500,000 km2. And the greatest depth recorded by scientists exceeds 5 km.

Due to its enormous size, the Mediterranean Sea also boasts a variety of inhabitants. Its waters are home to just over 500 species of fish. It is not worth reminding that Mediterranean cuisine is based specifically on marine inhabitants.

Red sea

Between Middle East Asia and the African continent lies the picturesque Red Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean. The reservoir is relatively small - only 438,000 km2. And this is a unique sea, into whose waters not a single river flows.

The alkali content here in some places reaches 50%, but in most zones it remains at around 41%. For comparison: even in 1 liter of water from the open ocean you can find a maximum of 35 grams of minerals. That's a lot. But our leader will shock you even more. And it washes the seas of Israel, Palestine and Jordan.

Despite the fact that the reservoir ranks second in the ranking of the saltiest seas, the world of its flora and fauna is very diverse. Here you can find sharks and killer whales, as well as mature turtles and dolphins. In addition, the diversity and beauty of coral reefs attracts many divers from all over the world.

Which sea is the saltiest in the world?

Red Sea is considered the saltiest . It is located between the Arabian Peninsula and the African continent - it is part of the Indian Ocean. The salt concentration is quite high: 41 g. per liter of water is 41%. In the Mediterranean, for example, it is almost two times less - 25 g/l.

On average, the salinity of sea water reaches 32-37%. Of course, each sea has its own indicator:

Black – about 17%;
Mediterranean – 36-38%;
Baltic – 11%.

What about the Dead Sea ? After all, this body of water is usually considered the saltiest in the world. Indeed, a liter of water contains a lot of salt - about 300 grams. But, despite the name, it is a lake, because it has no drainage. Therefore, we will not talk about him today. But for general development, you can watch a short video.

What is the name associated with, versions of occurrence

There are several versions of why the reservoir received such a name. The first is associated with an incorrect decoding of the Semitic word.

It is believed that the combinations of letters were mixed up, so the name appeared almost by accident.
According to the second version, the colors were associated with different cardinal directions.

In mythological tales, white most often symbolized the east, black - the north. Red was associated with the south. Therefore, it's all about the southern location.

However, some scientists point to seasonal algal blooms near the surface. Due to their special pigment, they “repaint” the water surface in a reddish-brown hue. But the option is less likely, because the color shade changes, but not very significantly.

Why is there so much salt in it?

There are several reasons why the Red Sea turned out to be so salty. One of its secrets is that no rivers flow into the reservoir. This prevents the ingress of fresh water - only minor precipitation brings it. There are very few of them - up to 100 mm per year.

The climate here is hot and arid. Therefore, annual evaporation is quite strong (up to 2000 mm). The resulting deficit is compensated from the Gulf of Aden. As the amount of evaporation is greater, salinity increases. For this reason, the layer of sea water decreases by half a centimeter every year.

The “Red Sea” is the warmest of all, even warmer than the Azov Sea. The temperature is stable all year round - about 20-25 C. In winter - about +23 C, in summer it can reach +30. The air is very dry, because there are two deserts next door.

The secret is that heating is provided not only by the sun, but also by the internal heat of the Earth. An interesting feature is the depressions with hot brines. Scientists discovered them only in the 60s of the XX century. Today, 20 such depressions are known. The heating is significant - up to 30-60 C. According to the descriptions of the researchers, the brines are kept “apart” and resemble silty soil or swirling fog.

That is why not cool, but warm waters rise from the seabed. They are the ones who mix evenly with the rest. Surface water cools, thickens and sinks. Warm ones rise up.

Despite everything, the reservoir is fabulously transparent. The reason, first of all, is the lack of coastal flow (rivers and rain streams do not flow in). Therefore, the water space is protected from silt and sand. But the weather here is not very good. Due to the special heating pattern and coastal waters, monsoon winds and difficult currents occur quite often.

How salt levels affect local flora and fauna

The Dead Sea is considered so salty that no living organism can survive in its waters. But the Red Sea is a completely different story. There are about 1.5 thousand species of exotic fish alone. Of these, about 30% live exclusively here (endemics). It’s not for nothing that divers from all over the world come here specially to admire the diversity of the aquatic world.
True, not all local inhabitants are safe. It is not advisable to encounter electric stingrays or poisonous cones. An encounter with a moray eel or a tiger shark does not bode well either. Blue-finned ballistoids are also considered dangerous. It is much more pleasant to meet a green turtle or parrot fish, lionfish or clown fish.
There is also a highlight - corals. First of all, the variety of shapes: the coral reefs here are branched, round, flat. And the colors are colorful - from soft pink to blue. No wonder it is called one of the most picturesque in the world. Coral “gardens” can be seen without sailing far from the shore. In addition, they constantly filter the water. Similar corals cannot be found even on the Great Barrier Reef (near Australia).
Unlike marine life, coastal life is very scarce. The banks are covered with salt, so there is no lush greenery. All beauty is under water. Unusual ebbs and flows are considered a local miracle. The differences reach up to 1.5-2 meters. The legend of Moses, who forced the waters to part, involuntarily comes to mind.

Becoming an independent ocean

Canadian geophysicist Tuzo Wilson claims that over time a new ocean will be created here. It indicates the movements of tectonic strata, causing the sea to expand. Geological activity is manifested by volcanism.

Dead Sea

It is immediately worth noting that many scientists still consider the reservoir to be a lake. But if we ignore all the legal nuances... the salinity of the Dead Sea is 270%! This is both a unique and amazing figure, which means that in 1 liter of water, chemical analysis showed 270 grams of alkalis. This is almost 10 times more than in the Red Sea. Naturally, nothing like this can be found on our plane anymore, so this is the saltiest sea on earth. Its mineral composition contains an impressive portion of the periodic table, including bromine and potassium. Is it necessary to warn that swimming in its waters is not worth it?

It's not called the Dead Sea for nothing. Only a few species of mushrooms can survive here. It’s definitely not possible to find random residents: the maximum depth of the sea-lake reaches only 300 meters, so 99.9% of the waters have already been studied and surveyed.

Where does salt come from in the seas and oceans?

Scientists still disagree about whether seawater was originally salty or acquired such properties over time. Depending on the versions, different sources of the appearance of salts in the World Ocean are considered.

Rains and rivers

Fresh water always has a small amount of salts, and rainwater is no exception. It always contains traces of dissolved substances that were captured during its passage through the atmosphere. Getting into the soil, rainwater washes away a small amount of salts and eventually carries them to lakes and seas. From the surface of the latter, water intensively evaporates, falls again in the form of rain and brings new minerals from the land. The sea is salty because all the salts remain in it.

The same principle applies to rivers. Each of them is not completely fresh, but contains small amounts of salts captured on land.

The river flows into the sea

Confirmation of the theory - salt lakes

Proof that salt comes through rivers are the saltiest lakes: the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea. Both are about 10 times saltier than seawater. Why are these lakes salty while most of the world's lakes are not?

Lakes are usually temporary storage areas for water. Rivers and streams bring water to lakes, and other rivers carry it away from these lakes. That is, water comes in from one end and leaves from the other.

Dead Sea

The Great Salt Lake, the Dead Sea and other salt lakes have no outlets. All the water that flows into these lakes leaves only through evaporation. When water evaporates, dissolved salts remain in bodies of water. Thus, some lakes are salty because:

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the rivers carried salt to them;
the water in the lakes evaporated;
the salt remained.

Over many years, salt in the lake water has accumulated to its current level.

The same process made the seas salty. Rivers carry dissolved salts to the ocean. Water evaporates from the oceans to fall again as rain and replenish rivers, but the salts remain in the ocean.

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Hydrothermal processes

Rivers and rain are not the only source of dissolved salts. Recently, hydrothermal vents were discovered on the ocean floor. They represent places where seawater has seeped into the rocks of the Earth's crust, become hotter, and is now flowing back into the ocean. Along with it comes a large amount of dissolved minerals.

Hydrothermal vents on the bottom

Submarine volcanism

Another source of salts in the oceans is underwater volcanism - the eruption of volcanoes under water. It is similar to the previous process in that seawater reacts with hot volcanic products and dissolves some of the mineral components.

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Will the seas be saltier?

Most likely no. In fact, the sea has had roughly the same salt content for hundreds of millions, if not billions of years. The salt content has reached a steady state. The fact is that part of the salts goes to the formation of mineral rocks at the bottom - this compensates for the influx of new salts.

Summarizing the facts

As you can see, scientists are divided on which sea is the saltiest. Many geographers are firmly convinced that the Dead is a lake, not a sea, which is why they give the palm to the vice-winner of our rating - the Red Sea. Those researchers who do not care about such trifles argue in favor of the Dead.

Five objects from our list border on the territory of the Russian Federation, which cannot be ignored. The saltiest sea washing the shores of our country is the Sea of Japan. And from the lakes - Bear.

Now you know about the 10 saltiest seas. And which one is best suited for a resort holiday is up to you to decide.