Research Paper Example: Salinity of the Ocean

The salinity of the ocean among other many water bodies is as a result of many years of the occurrence of the water cycle that has created a balanced geographical environment that is dependent on the patterns of the weather among other things. Comprehension about this phenomenon is important because this balance plays a key role in supporting marine life as well as well as other geographical processes. Additionally, the water cycle has, over the years, shaped the situation concerning the presence or lack of salt in water bodies that are significant for the maintenance of a suitable geographical environment that supports marine life. This paper exhaustively explores the concept of salinity in oceans in addition to the reason why some water bodies have salty water while others have fresh water.

Ideally, time and time again, there has been a limit on the amount of fresh water that enters the oceans. This regulation stands to protect the level of pH in these waters to make them suitable habitat for marine life. Consequently, hydrothermal vents also contribute to the salinity of oceans by melting rocks and minerals into the oceans water from within the earths crust (Hydrothermal Vents, 4). With an almost scientific view of things, there is a certain marine life that is supported by the presence or lack thereof of salt among other minerals in the water. However, to understand the importance of the presence of salt and other minerals, one would have to gain a unique perspective on how these oceans come about to have salt water instead of fresh water.

The ocean is fed with many water sources that are rivers mostly. Most of these rivers take water into the ocean from the highlands. However, the rivers only bring in fresh water as they drain water from the freshwater lakes, forests acting as water catchment areas and melting ice from the mountaintops (Helmenstine, 2). In view of this, one would wonder why the constant supply of fresh water into the ocean does not lower the level of salt. This is possible because the water in the oceans is constantly evaporated to form rainfall in the surrounding coastal areas (W. Schmitt and Blair, 42). The formed clouds that create rain offer a way to remove water from the oceans. Therefore, the constant supply of fresh water and the constant formation of rainfall clouds help maintain the level of salt in the sea. However, the real question stands to be, where does all the salt and minerals come from?

The above question is one that stands to create a point of evolutionary comprehension of the topic concerned with this paper. Initially, rivers come from upland areas. In their course of travel to the ocean, the water comes into contact with various rocks and minerals. Through the contact with water, erosion occurs and the natural substances that form these rocks are dissolved in the water (Helmenstine, 4). This constant flow of water erodes the rocks more and more while dissolving the salt and minerals contained within. According to national geographic, this section of the water cycle is among the sources of salinity of the ocean (Hydrothermal Vents, 3). Nonetheless, other water bodies, especially lakes also become salty for this among other many reasons. Therefore, the salinity of the lakes and oceans are caused by natural geographical processes that are of importance to all the life on the planet earth.

The Lakes are also salty because of the presence of salt and minerals in the water that is fed into them through rivers. However, the salinity of the lakes is possible also because of the lack of enough rivers bringing fresh water into the lakes or enough outlets of water from the lake. Lakes operate in different ways from the oceans. The lake basins may contain salty rocks or minerals that have a chemical composition that forms salt when it comes into contact with water (W. Schmitt and Blair, 42). The chemical reactions that take place, erosion of rocks that produces slat and minerals, lack inlets into the water basin creates an environment that sustains the salinity of the lakes. The same occurs in oceans when they do not act as sources of rivers, thereby making rainfall the only way through which water in the oceans is reduced.

The salinity of the water bodies is very significant. The presence or lack thereof of water creates a balance of the natural environment that enables some species of animals to exist in a particular environment (Helmenstine, 1). Ideally, the different levels of salinity enable the existence of flora and fauna. The significance of flora and fauna is noted for the survival of human beings. Various species of marine life act as food for the human beings living in the areas surrounding the water bodies (Field and Michalak, 11). Marine life also creates a livelihood for most human beings through economic activities such as fishing.

On the other hand, various species of marine life act as wildlife attraction sites where tourists come to observe them. Tourism is a significant revenue generator in many countries (Field and Michalak, 17). Moreover, salt creates the opportunity for marine trade by ensuring that the water is dense enough to enable water vessels carrying large loads of cargo to float on the water while traveling to their destinations (W. Schmitt and Blair, 44). Even more important is that freshwater acts as a source of water for irrigation and domestic purposes, enabling cities of the world to have a constant supply of fresh water for its inhabitants (Amis, 40).

It is therefore prudent to note that the salinity of the water bodies is made possible through a myriad of the geographical process that also contributes to the acidity of the ocean. Furthermore, the salinity of water bodies is all part of creating a balanced natural environment that enables the existence of different species of life thus promoting biodiversity and the existence of humans through different economic and domestic ways.

Works Cited

Amis, Anthony. "Climate change and drinking water." Chain Reaction 126 (2016): 40.

Field, Christopher B., and Anna M. Michalak. "Water, climate, energy, food: Inseparable & indispensable." Daedalus 144.3 (2015): 7-17.

Helmenstine, Anne Marie. Why the Sea Is Salty (Yet Most Lakes Are Not). ThoughtCo, 4

Aug. 2017. Online, https://www.thoughtco.com/why-is-the-ocean-salty-609421. Accessed 31st Oct. 2017.

Hydrothermal Vents. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Online, https://www.whoi.edu/main/topic/hydrothermal-vents. Accessed 31st Oct. 2017.

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Why is then ocean salty, but rivers flowing into it are not? NOAA's National Ocean Service, 1 June 2013, Online, https: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/riversnotsalty.html. Accessed 31st Oct. 2017.

W. Schmitt, Raymond, and Austen Blair. "A river of salt." Oceanography 28.1 (2015): 40-45.