Question

How does the salinity and temperature of the world ocean give rise to the oceans density stratification? How is density stratification related to thermohaline circulation?

Answer 1

Ocean water forms certain definite layers based on certain properties of water salinity(halocline), density(pycnocline) temperature (thermocline), these layers restrict the water from mixing which may cause anoxia(depletion in oxygen). the rapid increase in density with depth is due to a decrease in temperature (the thermocline), in some regions density may also increase vertically with depth such layers are called a halocline.

The stratification leads to the thermohaline circulation, in the regions of high density due to the wind circulation the water sinks at high latitudes and upwells in the southern part, this leads to the worldwide mixing of the ocean water, hence it makes the earth ocean a globally active system.