Consider the following statements regarding the distribution of ocean salinity:
- The highest surface salinity in the open oceans is recorded precisely at the equator due to maximum year-round solar insolation.
- In the Arctic Ocean, surface salinity fluctuates significantly across seasons due to the freezing and thawing of sea ice.
- In high-latitude regions, the salinity of ocean water generally increases with depth, creating a distinct halocline layer.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Statement 1 is wrong because the highest open-ocean surface salinity sits in the subtropics around 20°-30° latitude, where evaporation peaks, not at the equator, where heavy rainfall dilutes the surface. Statement 2 is right: Arctic surface salinity swings with the seasonal freezing and melting of sea ice. Statement 3 is also right because high-latitude waters carry a fresh, light surface layer over saltier deep water, so salinity rises with depth through a sharp halocline.