Natural Science Forum / Earth Science / Oceanography / January 2004

Hi,

I had an argument with my geography teacher on the topic of how
such large amounts of salt (we had been reading a text, in which
one calculation said, that if the waters of all oceans evaporated,
a 70 metres thick layer of salt would cover the ground) could have
come into the oceans.
She mentioned that each stone, each soil consisted of a low
percentage of soluble salts which were solved due to precipitation
and fluent water (rivers) and therefore tansported into the oceans.
As far as I can remember, I read once that the salts who are beeing
solved in rivers, ground water, lakes etc. differ from those who are
beeing solved in the ocean. One could argue, that most solvent Mg2+,
Na+ an Cl- ions literally have been 'swept away', yet, which would
fit to the relativly constant salt-concentration in the ocean's water.

Could anyone comment on these theories?

Does anyone know, if comets or asteroids could
donate such high amounts of salt ions?

And is Magma significantly consisting of such ions/minerals?

I'd greatly appreciate your answers!

Tim Lehmann

PS: Answers in German and French are welcome as well :)