Salt in the ocean
Rivers carry dissolved minerals from weathered rock into the sea, and the water that evaporates leaves those salts behind. Some of them later settle onto the seafloor, which keeps the ocean’s saltiness roughly steady over long periods.
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In the picture
- Rain on bare rock: water loosening mineral grains from stone
- River mouth: dissolved minerals arriving in the sea
- Sea surface under the sun: water turning to vapour while salts stay behind
- Crystals on the seabed: salts settling out and leaving the water
Examples
- Salt left on a road after a puddle dries up
- A salt crust forming at the edge of a dried-out lake
Key takeaways
- The sea’s saltiness stays roughly steady because what enters and what is removed balance out.
- Most dissolved material reaches the ocean through rivers flowing from the land.
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