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Definition and measurement of salinity in salt lakes

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International Journal of Salt Lake Research

Abstract

Salinity is the most important chemical attribute of athalassic salt lakes. Even so, some confusion persists of what ‘salinity’ means and how to measure it. For sal lakes, salinity is best defined as the sum total of all ion concentrations, or total ion concentration. Ideally, it is recommended that salinities be expressed on a mass per mass basis and as ppt (parts per thousand). Direct measurements of salinity can only be derived from full ionic analyses. Indirect measurements can be derived by determinations of density, conductivity, freezing point depression and total dissolved solids or matter.

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Williams, W.D., Sherwood, J.E. Definition and measurement of salinity in salt lakes. International Journal of Salt Lake Research 3, 53–63 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01990642

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