Why Is the Ocean Salty? – Geology In

Why Is the Ocean Salty? – Geology In

If you’ve ever tasted ocean water, you know it’s unmistakably salty. But have you ever wondered where all that salt comes from—and why seawater is salty while rivers and lakes remain fresh? The answer lies in a long and complex story involving Earth’s geology, chemistry, and hydrology—playing out over hundreds of millions of years.Salt by the NumbersSeawater contains about 3.5% dissolved salts by weight, or 35 parts per thousand (ppt). That mean…