Why is sea water salty?This question at least once in your life (or rather, as a child) asked each of us.
«The water wears away the stone."This proverb is very true.Throughout the world, there is more solvent water.It is able to wash away the salt and acid, easily copes with stones and huge rocks.
Rainwater flows leached hardest rocks, wash them in water.Salt accumulating in the water, making it a bitter-salty.
But why the river remain fresh?
Scientists call for several reasons.Consider the main theories that today offer specialists who study the sea water.
Why is sea water salty?Theory first.
All impurities falling into the water, sooner or later end up in the seas and oceans.Why is sea water salty?Because of the river, too salty.However, salts in which up to 70% less than in the ocean.Instruments recorded it, and the taste of fresh river water seems.Running water from the river falls into the ocean, the salt accumulates there.The process is more than two billion years.That's more than enough time to "prosolit" a huge amount of water.The water gradually evaporates, the rain falls, returns to the ocean.The salts and other elements remain unchanged: they do not evaporate, but only accumulated.
good confirmation of this theory are the lakes that do not flow: they too salty.
For example, water from the Dead Sea (in fact it is a huge closed lake) contains the amount of salt that it is any body pushes to the surface.This lake - the lowest point on the planet, which, moreover, is in a hot place.Because of the climate and vapors, according to the scientists, the salinity of the Dead Sea, and reached almost 40%.There are not found any fish or plants.Even outwardly resembles a water oily substance.And at the bottom of the lake instead of the usual mud - salt.
Such a theory explaining why the sea water is salty, has one major drawback.It does not take into account that in the river water are mainly salts of carbonic acid, and marine - sodium chloride (common salt).
Why is sea water salty?The theory of the second.
According to her, initially the water in the ocean was not salty and sour.Why is that?Because during the birth of the Earth's atmosphere is literally boiling.Volcanoes "thrown" into it a lot of chemical elements, spilled acid rain.All this is settled at the bottom of newborn oceans, making it acidic.Gradually demolished the river into the ocean eroded rocks, which reacts with the acid.As a result, stood out salt that make water salty.Stood still and carbonates, but they are very active and are used by marine animals, who with their help build shells, skeletons, shells.
Once upon a time the process has stabilized, but the water remains in the seas salty.That it remains today.
Both theories exist, but none of them are not exactly explain why, in the sea and rivers of different water.Mostly these hypotheses are complementary, and sometimes deny.
Perhaps, very soon will have a new theory that will give exhaustive answers to all the people of the Earth question.
