Which one of the following is known as a zone of sharp salinity change

Which one of the following is known as a zone of sharp salinity change in the vertical section of ocean?

Thermocline
Halocline
Photic zone
Pycnocline
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2018
A halocline is a layer of water in which the salinity changes significantly with depth. This zone represents a strong vertical salinity gradient.
This question tests specific oceanographic terminology used to describe vertical gradients of physical properties in the ocean.
A thermocline is a layer where temperature changes rapidly with depth. A pycnocline is a layer where density changes rapidly with depth (density is influenced by both temperature and salinity). The photic zone (or euphotic zone) is the upper layer of a body of water where sunlight penetrates and photosynthesis occurs; it is defined by light penetration, not by a gradient of a physical property.
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