What is salinity? Salinity in saltwater is a measurement of salts dissolved in water that come from rocks and soil. The average salinity of the ocean is 35 ppt (parts […]
Author: Kiersten Garside
pH in saltwater
What is pH in saltwater? pH stands for “potential for Hydrogen”. It is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of saltwater. Why is pH important in saltwater? pH sets […]
pH in freshwater
What is pH? pH stands for “potential for Hydrogen.” It measures how acidic or basic (alkaline) a liquid is. pH ranges on a scale from 0 (very acidic) to 14 […]
Water hardness
What is water hardness? Water hardness measures the amount of dissolved minerals in the water (mostly calcium and magnesium). It is related to alkalinity, as both measure calcium carbonate content. […]
Conductivity
What is conductivity? Conductivity is how we measure the ionic content (such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, sodium, magnesium, calcium, or iron) in a body of water by measuring the water’s […]
Water clarity (Secchi)
What is water clarity? Secchi readings are an effective way to monitor water clarity in lakes and oceans, but not so helpful for shallow areas or streams. Why is water […]
Chlorine
What is chlorine? Chlorine, on it’s own, is a greenish-yellow, highly reactive and diatomic gas that is almost never found free in nature by itself. When found in freshwater, chlorine […]
Alkalinity
What is alkalinity? Alkalinity is the water’s ability to neutralize acid or resist rapid decreases in pH. Each body of water will have its own typical range of alkalinity. It’s influenced […]
Air temperature
What is air temperature? Air temperature is simply how hot or cold the outside air is. Why is air temperature important for water testing? Measuring environmental variables, like temperature, helps […]
Dissolved oxygen
What is dissolved oxygen? Dissolved oxygen is the amount of gaseous oxygen (O2) present in water. Oxygen dissolves into the water in various ways. It is created by aquatic plants […]