formula to calculate salinity from conductivity and temperature
Salinity data used to trace water movement or compute density are normally derived from measurements of chlorinity or electrical conductivity, temperature, and pressure. This salt water density calculator determines the density of salt water with salinities between 0 and 43 ppt, temperatures between 2 and 40 and pressures between 0 and 1000 bar, the last number being the pressure at a depth of 10 km or 6.21 miles. By eliminating the lower salinity values (<22) that affect the trendline, it is possible to achieve a more accurate equation for the standard ranges of seawater. Some saline lakes exist due to a restricted outflow 4. It effectively accounts for the compositional changes of seawater based on latitude and longitude, along with temperature and density. Temperature. 15-35C range for sensors with <1.8% or >2.0%). If, for the moment, we ignore . Areas downstream of a dam or a river diversion will have an altered conductivity value due to the lessened inflow 23. Lets look at the effect of depth on salinity using one of the calculators available online (while the calculations were not done by pHionics, they were referenced to three other PSS-78 salinity calculators online to verify consistency). Use this formula to calculate ionic . The salinity and conductivity values drop when the input is freshwater. Any errors of greater than 2% are highlighted in yellow and are seen below 22 practical salinity, defining the low range of our linear equation. If coastal water floods, the opposite effect can occur. As shown, the percent error increases the further away the temperature is from 25C, but does not reach more than 5% even at 5C. These strata are separated by an boundary known as a halocline 9. Euryhaline species live in or travel through estuaries, where saline zonation is evident. If a measurement is made at a different temperature and corrected to 25 C, then the temperature coefficient must be considered. For seawater, the temperature coefficient ranges from 1.8-2.1%, with lower temperatures and salinities approaching 1.8%. The conductivity of estuaries tends to be the most variable as they are constantly influenced by freshwater and saltwater flows. 35 g dissolved salt / kg sea water = 35 ppt = 35 o/oo = 3.5% = 35000 ppm = 35000 mg/l. Thus these organisms maintain higher internal ionic concentrations than the surrounding water 16. As ATC effectively standardizes the conductivity output to 25C within our acceptable margin of error (5%), temperature change can be eliminated as a variable in practical salinity calculations. Salinity (/ s l n t i /) is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity).It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal to ). In addition to being the basis of most salinity and total dissolved solids calculations, conductivity is an early indicator of change in a water system. When total dissolved solids ranged above 2200-3600 mg/L, salmonids, perch and pike all showed reduced hatching and egg survival rates 37. Seawater will pick up suspended solids and nutrients from the soil, but can also deposit its salts on land, decreasing the conductivity of the water 45. Use spreadsheet or calculator to convert conductivity and temperature data to salinity value. All three methods are based on an approximate salinity value of 35 in seawater 24. The second table calculates the percent error of conductivity outputs when comparing the temperature coefficient used in PSS-78 (1.9%) to the commonly used temperature coefficient in conductivity sensors (2.0%). 0.004 kg/m 3. A halocline often coincides with a thermocline (temperature boundary) and a pycnocline (density boundary) (28. PHREECI was utilized to rapidly calculate salinity, TDS, and TS of 6,391 surface water samples from 523 sites using eight different approaches. As with conductivity, the expected salinity of a body of water can only be estimated. By eliminating the lower salinity values (<22) that affect the trendline, it is possible to achieve a more accurate equation for the standard ranges of seawater. between 0 and 40. . Horizontal stratification is present in estuaries where tides are weak. As ATC effectively standardizes the conductivity output to 25C within our acceptable margin of error (5%), temperature change can be eliminated as a variable in practical salinity calculations. Again, the obtained practical salinity values should not be substituted instead of PSS-78 or TEOS-10 standards in scientific literature, but properly understanding and programming these standards require a specialized skillset or extensive time to develop the skillset, which is not available to everyone. Likewise, groundwater inflows will contribute to the conductivity of the stream or river depending on the geology that the groundwater flows through. While the small corrections to salinity may not seem significant to some applications, it does have larger implications for thermodynamic-related properties such as density, sound speed, and heat capacity of seawater. Lets look at how temperature compensation can affect accuracy over a range of temperatures: Equation 1. This conversion box will calculate water salinity in the proper units. On the other side of the spectrum, highly mineralized groundwater inflows will increase conductivity and salinity 1. For every 1C increase, conductivity values can increase 2-4% 3. Conductance is measured in mhos or siemens 19. Though the overall conductivity is lower for the season, there are often conductivity spikes as water initially enters a floodplain. Temperature and salinity levels alter water density, and thus contribute to water column . TEOS-10 is derived from a Gibbs function, which requires more complex calculations, but offers more useful information 24. The units psu, ppt and SA g/kg are nearly equivalent (and often interchanged) 6. Parts per thousand or grams/kilogram (1 ppt = 1 g/kg) used to be the standard 22. To do this temperature of 25C, pressure of 0 dBar, and conductivity values of 4-62 mS/cm were entered into one of the calculators online that allowed batch processing to obtain practical salinities from 2-42. How do you calculate conductivity and salinity from temperature? Conductivity, the inverse of resistivity is determined from the . The units used to measure salinity fluctuate based on application and reporting procedure. When this flow is diverted, the effect of additional freshwater (lowering conductivity) is minimized 23. As water evaporates off the surface of the ocean, the salts from these sources are left behind to accumulate over millions of years 27. The instrument collects data in 386 kilometer-wide (240-mile) swaths in an orbit designed to obtain a complete survey of global salinity of ice-free oceans . Conductivity, in particular specific conductance, is one of the most useful and commonly measured water quality parameters 3. This north Atlantic sea water was given a set practical salinity of 35 psu 25. Now salinity values are reported based on the unitless Practical Salinity Scale (sometimes denoted in practical salinity units as psu) 22. These are the most common units used, and practical salinity remains the most common salinity value stored for data archives 24. Re: Salinity to Conductivity conversion. For hydrometer correction please use Hamza Muhammad Arain's Salinity . Medical XPRT TEOS-10 outlines Absolute Salinity (SA), which corrects practical salinity values by roughly 0.5% based on location. Conductivity and salinity vary greatly between different bodies of water. Instead of increasing conductivity by 2-3% per degree Celsius, it may increase by approximately 5% per degree Celsius 3. Salinity is an important factor in determining many aspects of the chemistry of natural waters and of biological . Temperature changes will have a greater effect on the conductivity of deionized water (or any nearly pure water), due to the molar equivalent conductivity of H+ and OH- in the absence of other ions 3. Likewise, reductions in flow from dams or river diversions can also alter conductivity levels 29. Common methods for calculating salinity from a conductivity sensor leverage the Practical Salinity Scale and USGS Water-Supply Paper 2311. These derivations compare the specific conductance of the sample to a salinity standard such as seawater 6. The effect of salinity on the solubility of dissolved gases is due to Henrys Law; the constant used will changes based on salt ion concentrations 39. NaCl-based solutions should have a temperature coefficient of 0.02-0.0214 33. Aqueous solutions transfer electrical currents better with higher concentrations of ions, which are directly related to the amount of dissolved salts in the water. As such, salinity is a strong contributor to conductivity. The calculation of salinity is based on the 1978 definition of practical salinity (UNESCO, 1978). Meromictic lakes can develop when a saline inflow (natural or man-made) enters a freshwater lake, or if a saline lake receives a freshwater inflow 4. As of 2010, an Absolute Salinity calculation was developed, but is not used for database archives 24. As we are looking to have an error of less than 5% of the true value, we can ignore change in salinity with pressure up to at least 200 dBar, based on these numbers. The next factor is temperature. For both freshwater and mineralized water, the higher the flow volume, the more it will affect salinity and conductivity 29. TEOS-10 offers pre-programmed equations to calculate absolute salinity. The incoming freshwater from rivers can then float over the denser seawater and little mixing occurs 23. Multiply the result by 0.4665. The goal of this article is to provide a reasonably accurate estimate for surface seawater salinity, which has a standard range between 32 and 37 practical salinity. In addition, the ionic composition will change the recommended TDS constant. At most, freshwater can have 2000 mg/L of total dissolved solids, and most sources should have much less than that 13. Conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct electrical current. Thickness, d = 2 m. Hot side temperature, T_ {HOT} = 250 degrees C. Cold side temperature, T_ {COLD} = 25 degrees C. The method of temperature compensation depends on the manufacturer and model but many use a linear temperature coefficient of 2% per C from 25C (including pHionics). Deriving TDS from conductivity is quicker and suited for both field measurements and continuous monitoring 42. 8. The current standards, PSS-78 and Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10), are available online, but use complicated equations and programs such as MATLAB that are not accessible to everyone. The practical salinity of a sample of seawater is defined in terms of the ratio of the electrical conductivity of the seawater sample at the temperature of 15C and the pressure of 1 standard atmosphere, to that of a potassium chloride (KCl) solution containing a mass of 32.4356 g KCl in a mass of 1 kg of solution at the same temperature and . Water flow and water level changes can also contribute to conductivity through their impact on salinity. OR. Estuaries are unique in that they can have horizontal or vertical haloclines. 15-35C range for sensors with1. Codornices Creek live monitoring data from Balance Hydrologics gauge above 10th St. Salinity is a measure of the mass of dissolved salts (ionic constituents) in a given mass of solution and usually expressed as parts per thousand (ppt). Rain itself can have a higher conductivity than pure water due to the incorporation of gases and dust particles 23. Most lakes and rivers have alkali and alkaline earth metal salts, with calcium, magnesium, sodium, carbonates and chlorides making up a high percentage of the ionic composition 4. Salinity Correction Calculator * Special thanks to Boomer from www.reefcentral.com for his help. The equation effectively estimates seawater salinity between the practical salinity ranges of 22 and 42, temperatures 5-35C, and pressure less than 200 dBar, using a temperature-compensated conductivity sensor. This is called the Practical Salinity Scale of 1978 (PSS-78). As long as it has not had any contact with air (particularly CO2), deionized water should have a conductivity of 0.055 uS/cm, or a resistivity of 18 megohms at 25 C 5,47. Seawater cannot simply be evaporated to a dry salt mass measurement as chlorides are lost during the process 26. The first one, which is the fundamental definition fails to mention the conductivity of the standard KCl solution at 15 C is 42.914 mS/cm. The ionic compositions of inland water sources are dependent on the surrounding environment. for . The HOBO RX3000 with a 4-20 mA sensor). salinity scale and are valid for surface waters The latter technique has a precision about 1 order of magnitude greater than that of a typical chlorinity titration, but both are sensitive, in different ways, to variations in . One siemen is equal to one mho 1. Other indirect measures are water density, sound speed, and refractive index. Estuarine life can tolerate rapidly changing salinity levels better than both their freshwater and marine counterparts 4. 0%/C temperature coefficient. We tested the water's salinity. These models are defined within specific temperature ranges. At room temperature, the concentration of both H+ ions and OH- ions is 10 M (think pH deionized water will have a neutral pH of 7 without atmospheric contact) creating a very small conductivity value 46. While temperature has a large effect on salinity, it can be accounted for by using a conductivity sensor with automatic temperature compensation (ATC), which typically standardizes the conductivity output to 25C. This method, called TEOS-10, determines absolute salinity as opposed to the practical salinity derived from conductivity. These conductive ions come from dissolved salts and inorganic materials such as alkalis, chlorides, sulfides and carbonate compounds 3. Privacy, Our sites: Conductivity: (uS/cm) Water temperature: (C) Salinity: (ppt) Equations used are based on the practical salinity scale and are valid for surface waters with salinity between 2 and 42 ppt. But as long as the temperature and composition remains the same, the conductivity of water will not change. As conductivity is easier to measure, it is used in algorithms estimating salinity and TDS, both of which affect water quality and aquatic life. Freshwater sources include springs, snowmelt, clear, clean streams and fresh groundwater 21. Note: The conductivity ratio for this calculator is defined as Rt(S,t)=C(S,t,0)/(C,35,t,0) where S is salinity, t is temperature and C is conductivity. . Absolute salinity is reported in g/kg and is denoted by the symbol SA. It has a 4-cell electrode for improved stability along with an isolated, 4-20 mA transmitter for high accuracy, durability, and almost no maintenance over 10+ years of service. Personally, I tried to verify the . At present, most conductivity-measuring oceanographic instruments report data that is converted to, and calibrated using, Practical Salinity S, Choose the Right Sensor for Water Quality Monitoring. It can be viewed here but is not easily comprehensible and is not linear. Ions commonly found in water include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium cations and bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate anions. Looking For a Reliable Conductivity Sensor? Dissolved Oxygen Calculator. TDS can also affect water taste, and often indicates a high alkalinity or hardness 12. Inserting 6 into 5 yields: (7) E C E C 25 = ( 25 20) ( 20 ) = ( 25 20) 10 A / B. Salinity is an ambiguous term. Check out the pHionics STs Series Conductivity. If a conductivity measurement is made at 25 C, it can simply be reported as the specific conductance. More Options: Temperature of water: Reference pure water temperature: Conversion table for salinity in parts per thousand (ppt) to specific gravity (sg) combined with temperature variation. As seen in the table below, solutions with the same conductivity value, but different ionic constitutions (KCl vs NaCl vs 442) will have different total dissolved solid concentrations. Approximate salinity, in parts per thousand, for the hydrometer reading at the indicated temperature. EC meters are a cheap and easy way for estimating salinity: the higher the conductivity reading, the higher the salt content. More on calculating the compensation factor can be found in our article on Conductivity Electrodes. This means that, on average, seawater has a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than freshwater sources. Equations used are based on the practical salinity scale and are valid for surface waters with salinity between 2 and 42 ppt. The halocline divides layers of water with different salinity levels 9. Electrical conductivity (EC) is the most common measure of soil salinity and is indicative of the ability of an aqueous solution to carry an electric current. Salinity levels in an estuary can vary from freshwater to seawater over a short distance 21. As temperature is important in salinity calculation (usually measured at 25C), most EC meters have . Early Determination of Salinity: from Ancient Concepts to Challenger Results; Beginning of Electronics in Oceanography. In the absence of up to date high quality datasets of simultaneously measured temperature, conductivity, sound speed and pressure, we have used a manufactured dataset over a parameter volume from temperature (0-40C, in 0.5C steps), salinity in psu (0-40 in 0.5 psu steps) and pressure (0-6000 dbar in 100 dbar steps). In summary, the following equation estimates (<5% error) practical salinity for conductivity measurements taken with a temperature-compensated sensor at less than 200 dBar and temperature ranges of 5-35C (for pHionics instruments and any others with 1.8-2.0%/C temperature coefficient. Resistivity decreases as the ionic concentration in water increases. Lets look at how temperature compensation can affect accuracy over a range of temperatures: The practical salinity value of 35 at 15C and 25C was entered into a calculator that gave conductivity measurements based on the PSS-78 equation. you can right-click on this page and select This calculation used the following equation: This method is only acceptable for seawater, as it is limited in estuaries, brackish and freshwater sources 28. Equation 1 was used to derive the temperature coefficient. Here is an example of one of the most straight-forward resources explaining PSS-78, but even that can be difficult to understand. Most aquatic organisms can only tolerate a specific salinity range 14. Submarine volcanoes can spew dissolved minerals and carbon dioxide into the ocean 17. The relationship is not perfect as each ion has a different level of conductivity and, therefore, a different ratio between conductivity and dissolved salts depending on the concentration of each ion. The major ions in seawater (with a practical salinity of 35) are: chloride, sodium, magnesium, sulfate, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate and bromine 25. Since a liter of seawater weighs about 1000 grams, the salinity is 30 grams per 1000 grams (30/1000 or 30 ppt). This TDS constant is dependent on the type of solids dissolved in water, and can be changed depending on the water source. Microsiemens per centimeter is the standard unit for freshwater measurements. The principle by which instruments measure conductivity is simple - plates/wires are placed in the sample, a potential is applied across them (normally a sine wave voltage), and the current is measured. (stratification). Where can I find formulas for calculating conductivity, temperature, pressure, and derived parameters such as salinity, sound velocity, density, depth, thermosteric anomaly, specific volume, potential temperature, etc.? Practical salinity units are dimensionless and are based on conductivity studies of potassium chloride solutions and seawater 13. The largest room for error comes from the conductivity sensor temperature compensation, so it is important to be aware of the percentage to understand what the possible error is from PSS-78, especially at temperatures close to 0C. The equation is provided below and the rest of the article explains how it was derived and why there are limitations to its use. While fresh and brackish water vary significantly in terms of ion concentrations, seawater has a fairly stable composition, allowing for creation of a standard equation relating conductivity to salinity. Ocean salinity values can vary between 30 and 37 PSU 22. In some cases, such as excessive rainfall or drought, they can be connected to extreme natural causes. This calculator corrects an observed relative specific gravity (sg) measurement taken from a hydrometer that does not automatically correct for temperature difference and is being used to sample water at a different temperature than it was . Enter the obtained values into the scaling program and now the conductivity sensor is a practical salinometer. While freshwater sources have a low conductivity and seawater has a high conductivity, there is no set standard for the conductivity of water. It can also be reported in micromhos or millimhos/centimeter (umhos/cm or mmhos/cm), though these units are less common. Customer Service: Weekdays 9am to 5pm PST | +1 (775) 339-0565 |, https://jsta.shinyapps.io/cond2sal_shiny/, or seawater, the temperature coefficient ranges from 1.8-2.1%, with lower temperatures and salinities approaching 1.8%. While temperature has a large effect on salinity, it can be accounted for by using a conductivity sensor with automatic temperature compensation (ATC), which typically standardizes the conductivity output to 25C.   Use these shortcuts for page zoom control : Zoom In  CTRL + +,  Zoom Out  CTRL + -,  Zoom Reset  CTRL + 0 (zero), Designed & developed By : Akshay Hegde, NIODC, National Institute of Oceanography - Data Center, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Degrees, Minutes, Seconds to/from Decimal Degrees, Salinity from conductivity ( conductivity ratio ). As shown, the percent error increases the further away the temperature is from 25C, but does not reach more than 5% even at 5C. The HOBO RX3000 with a 4-20 mA sensor). Salinity affects water density. temperature and salinity and also to calculate the speed of sound in the seawater. Salmonids exposed to higher than average levels of CaSO4 at various life stages experienced reduced survival and reproduction rates 37. https://incois.gov.in/Tutor/Utilities/salcon.html, https://jsta.shinyapps.io/cond2sal_shiny/(good for batch processing butfound to have issueswhen the temperature is not 25C), http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/sal.shtml, https://reefapp.net/en/salinity-calculator, https://monrecifamoi.saulme.fr/salinite/sea_water_calculator_teos10.php. At present, most conductivity-measuring oceanographic instruments report data that is converted to, and calibrated using, Practical Salinity SP. "View Source" or "View Page Source" from the If a conductivity measurement is made at 25 C, it can simply be reported as the specific conductance. It is consistent with other SI units as a true mass fraction, and it ensures that all thermodynamic relationships (density, sound, speed and heat capacity) remain consistent 24. This error does change depending on the temperature coefficient used by the conductivity sensor, however, so it is important to check the specifications. Most freshwater streams and lakes have low salinity and conductivity values. Cross Sectional Area, A = 1200. As practical salinity is reliant on fewer variables, it is easier to linearize than TEOS-10, which is why we focus on practical salinity instead of absolute salinity for the remainder of this article.