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Why is the Ocean Salty?
The ocean is salty because of minerals that are washed into the sea from the land. These minerals come from the rocks and soil of rivers. So when it rains, water rinses minerals from rocks and soil into rivers and streams. The rivers, in turn, eventually carry these minerals into the ocean.
The most common mineral in the seawater is sodium chloride (common salt).
Scientists have estimated that there are around 50 billion tons of salt in the ocean. Salt also comes from
hydrothermal vents, which are openings in the seafloor from which hot salty water flows into the ocean .
If the salt in the sea could be removed and spread evenly over the Earth's land surface it would form a layer more than 500 feet thick, about the height of a 40-story office building. |
