The ocean is salty for one strange reason: the salt checks in, but it never checks out. Follow for more hidden science.
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The ocean remains salty due to a simple yet remarkable principle: salt enters the water but never leaves. Rivers and streams continuously carry dissolved minerals and salts from rocks and soil into the ocean. Once these salts reach the ocean, they accumulate because while water evaporates and returns to the atmosphere as part of the water cycle, the salt remains behind in the ocean water.
This process has been occurring for billions of years, resulting in the ocean's current salinity levels. The salt that enters the ocean has nowhere to go, it cannot evaporate with water vapor, and it does not break down or escape through other natural processes. As more salt is delivered by rivers and less is removed, the concentration continues to build up over geological time.
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