The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-02-01
WHY THE SEA rs SALT
IT RECEIVES MINERAL SALT FROM
LAND AND LOSES NONE.

The Process ofEvaporatiOn Releases Water
from the oceans, but the Salt Remains.
Therefore the Sea Is Continually Grow
ing More Salty.
Why is sea water salt2 is a question
that has been regarded as q mystery
and has given rise to some curious specu-
lations, but q little consideration on the
subject must, | think, satisfy us all that
il would be very wonderful, quite in
comDrehensible, if the waters of the
ocean were otherwise than salt as they
are.
The following explanation was first
suggested to myself many years ago
when receiving my first lessons in prac-
teal chemical analysis. The problem
then to be solved was the separation Of
the bases dissolved in water by preclp-
itating them one by one in solid con-
dition. hltrating away the water from
the first, then from this fltrate precip-
itating the second, and so on until all
were separated or accounted for.
But in doing this there was one base
that was always left to the last on ac-
count of the difficulty of combining it
with any acid that would form solid
compound-a difficulty so great that its
presence was determined by different
method. This base is soda, the predomi-
mating base of sea salt, where it is com
bined with hydrochloric acid. Not only
issoda the most soluble of all the mineral
bases. but the mineral acid with which
it is combined forms a remarkably sOlu-
bic series Of salts-the chlorides. Thus
the primary fact concerning the salinity
Of sea water is that it has selected from
among the stable chemical elements the
two which form the most soluble com
pounds Among the earthly bases is one
which is exceptionally soluble-that is,
magnesia-and this stands next to soda
in its abundance in sea water.
Modern research has shown that the
ocean contains in solution nearly every
element that exists upon the earth, and
that these elements exist in the water in
proportions nearly corresponding to the
mean solubility of their various com
pounds. Thus gold and silver and most
OF the other heavy metals exist there.
Sonnenstadt found about fourteen
grains of gold to the ton of seawater, or
dollars worth in less than two tons.
As the ocean covers all the lower valleys
OF the earth, it receives all the drainage
from the whole of the exposed land.
This drainage is the rsinwater that has
fallen upon this exposed surface, has
flowed down its superficial slopes or has
sunk into porous land and descended
underground. In either case the water
must dissolve and carry with it any sol
u0le matter that 1t meets, the quantity
OF solid matter which is thus appropri-
ated being proportionate to it's solubility
and the extent of it's exposure to the
solvent. Rain when it falls upon the
earth is distilled water, nearly pure dts
small impurities being what it obtains
from the air.. but river water when it
reaches the ocean contains measurable
quantities of dissolved mineral and veg
etable matter. These small contribu-
lions are ever pouring in and ever accu-
mulatlng. This continual addition Of
dissolved mineral salts without any cor
responding abstraction by evaporation
mas been going on ever since the surface
Oh the earth consisted of land and water.
An examination of the composition of
other bodies of water which, like the
ocean, receive rivers and rivulets and
nave no other outlet than that afforded
oy evaporation, confirms this view. All
VI these are more or less saline, many OF
Them more so than the ocean itself. On
tne great tableland of Asia, 1.-The roof of
the world, there is multitude of small
akes which receive the waters of rivers
ana rlyulets of that region and have no
outlet to the ocean On map they APP
pear like bags, with string attached,
the Dag being the lake and the string the
river All these lakes are saline. many
VI them excessively so, simply because
'ney are ever receiving river water of
sIsht salinity and ever giving off vapor
winch has no salinity at all. There is no
wash through these lakes, as in the great
american a lakes or those Of Constance,
Geneva, etc.
The sea of Aral and thu CaaDian are