Question

In unusually cold winters the northern black sea sometimes freezes while the nearby adriatic sea usually does not in the same cold temperatures. freshwater runoff gives the surface of the black sea a low salinity of about 18 0/00. what would you guess about the salinity of the adriatic?

Answer 1

Fresh water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and as salinity increases, the required temperature to freeze decreases. The freezing point for water at 18 0/00 is 30.233 degrees Fahrenheit. So, for the black sea to freeze, it would need to be less than about thirty and a quarter degrees in both areas. Further for the Adriatic not to freeze it must be assumed that the Adriatic's salinity is higher, probably significantly higher as to avoid even partially freezing. Furthermore, as the Black Sea's decreased salinity is attributed to nearby freshwater runoff, it is safe to assume that the Adriatic Sea either A) Has little or no freshwater runoff, or B) Has a mitigating factor that negates any freshwater runoff, allowing the salinity of its water to remain high.