TIL: Why Is the Ocean Salty? | Today I Learned

we didn’t know why the ocean was salty

we didn’t know why the ocean was salty how it got its chemistry until fairly

how it got its chemistry until fairly

how it got its chemistry until fairly recently children would ask you why is

recently children would ask you why is

recently children would ask you why is the ocean salty we’d say next question

the ocean salty we’d say next question

the ocean salty we’d say next question we thought in the early days that it was

we thought in the early days that it was

we thought in the early days that it was the rivers they were the obvious

the rivers they were the obvious

the rivers they were the obvious culprits bringing all this stuff in but

culprits bringing all this stuff in but

culprits bringing all this stuff in but the chemistry the world’s oceans is not

the chemistry the world’s oceans is not

the chemistry the world’s oceans is not equal to the chemistry of the rivers

equal to the chemistry of the rivers

equal to the chemistry of the rivers coming into it we didn’t know until in

coming into it we didn’t know until in

coming into it we didn’t know until in 1979 we were driving along the East

1979 we were driving along the East

1979 we were driving along the East Pacific Rise and there was a black

Pacific Rise and there was a black

Pacific Rise and there was a black hooker in front of us we call it a black

hooker in front of us we call it a black

hooker in front of us we call it a black smoker because it looks like black smoke

smoker because it looks like black smoke

smoker because it looks like black smoke but it’s not it’s micro crystals of

but it’s not it’s micro crystals of

but it’s not it’s micro crystals of minerals so we discovered when we found

minerals so we discovered when we found

minerals so we discovered when we found the black smokers that the entire volume

the black smokers that the entire volume

the black smokers that the entire volume of the world’s oceans is going inside

of the world’s oceans is going inside

of the world’s oceans is going inside the earth and out every six to eight

the earth and out every six to eight

the earth and out every six to eight million years and it’s taking some of

million years and it’s taking some of

million years and it’s taking some of the chemicals it gets from rivers and

the chemicals it gets from rivers and

the chemicals it gets from rivers and it’s trading them for new chemicals and

it’s trading them for new chemicals and

it’s trading them for new chemicals and this is occurring all along the

this is occurring all along the

this is occurring all along the mid-ocean ridge that stretches around

mid-ocean ridge that stretches around

mid-ocean ridge that stretches around the planet like the seam of a baseball

the planet like the seam of a baseball

the planet like the seam of a baseball and there are tens of thousands of magma

and there are tens of thousands of magma

and there are tens of thousands of magma chambers down there and the waters get

chambers down there and the waters get

chambers down there and the waters get into them and that’s how we get the

into them and that’s how we get the

into them and that’s how we get the chemistry we’re all social and we didn’t

chemistry we’re all social and we didn’t

chemistry we’re all social and we didn’t know