What is the salinity profile in areas of the coastal ocean where there is a dry offshore wind? a. Salinity is constant from top to bottom. b. Salinity increases steadily from the top of the water column to the bottom. c. Salinity is high at the top, decreases rapidly through the halocline, then remains constant to the bottom of the water column. d. Salinity decreases steadily from the top of the water column to the bottom. e. Salinity is low at the top, increases rapidly through the halocline, then remains constant to the bottom of the water column.

Answer: C. Salinity is high at the top, decreases rapidly through the halocline, then remains constant to the bottom of the water column

Explanation: Halocline is a vertical column beneath a uniformly distributed salinity on the surface in the ocean, in which salinity changes rapidly with dept. In this case the salinity is high on the surface and decreases rapidly through the helocline until the deep water and remains even / constant at the bottom. In areas where there is a dry offshore wind that causes evaporation, this means that these are areas with high temperatures, hence low-latitude areas. In such areas, salinity is high on the surface due to evaporation, and the salt as such has a lower density than water and remains on the surface.