The salt in sea water comes from:
[amp_mcq option1=”rain.” option2=”chemical exchange between sea water and its substratum as well as hydrothermal emissions.” option3=”evaporation of water and concentration of dissolved salts.” option4=”mixing of different density waters during natural warm and cold current movements.” correct=”option2″]
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2020
The salt in sea water primarily originates from the weathering and erosion of rocks on land, with rivers carrying dissolved minerals and salts to the ocean. Additionally, significant contributions come from chemical reactions between seawater and the ocean floor (rock-water interactions) and from hydrothermal emissions at mid-ocean ridges and other volcanic activity, which release dissolved minerals into the water.
The salinity of the ocean is a result of geological processes involving the dissolution of minerals from rocks on land and the seabed, transported by rivers and released through volcanic and hydrothermal activity.