What Makes the Sea So Salty?

Dr. Bob Ballard, an oceanographer, explains how the world's oceans can remain so salty all the time. Where does the salt come from? Scientists previously thought that rivers emptying into the ocean were bringing salty materials in and contributing to the large salt content of the oceans.

However, in 1979 scientists discovered the true process behind the saltiness of the seas. "Black smokers" pour microcrystals of salty minerals into the ocean constantly. They enable the ocean water to go inside the earth to "trade chemicals" every 6-8 million years. It is this continuous process that keeps the salt-to-water ratio so high. Now you know!