Asked by .

Explain how thermohaline circulation is influenced by salinity and temperature.
short paragraph

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Thermohaline circulation — the global "conveyor belt" of ocean currents — is driven by density differences in seawater, which depend on temperature and salinity: colder water is denser and sinks, and saltier water is denser and sinks more readily. In high latitudes, surface water cools and becomes saltier (for example by sea-ice formation that leaves salt behind), causing it to sink and drive deep currents; conversely, warming or added freshwater from precipitation, rivers, or ice melt reduces surface density, inhibits sinking, strengthens stratification, and can slow the circulation, altering global heat transport and climate.