What type of circulation is part of the large-scale ocean circulation driven by global density differences created by surface heat and freshwater?

What the blank is describing

The sentence points to a global ocean circulation pattern that depends on density differences in seawater.

Linking density to temperature and freshwater

Seawater density increases when water gets colder and when salinity increases. Freshwater added by rain, rivers, or melting ice lowers salinity and can reduce density.

Why the term is “thermohaline”

The name comes from the two main controls on density:

• Thermo: temperature-driven density changes
• Haline: salinity-driven density changes

So the correct fill-in is thermohaline circulation, often discussed as part of the global “ocean conveyor belt.”