If Arctic sea water is generally -1.8C, while the freezing point of water is 0C, why is the Arctic not fully frozen?

Question

If Arctic sea water is generally -1.8C, while the freezing point of water is 0C, why is the Arctic not fully frozen?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

Salt water doesn’t freeze at 0 degrees like fresh water. The salt drops the freezing point. It depends on how much salt is in the water but the freezing point for ocean water is about -2 degrees Celsius.