Rivers go into ocean but rivers are fresh water?

Question

im so confused. if fresh water from the rivers dumps into the ocean, than how come the ocean is salty, and not the rivers?

Answer 1

Rivers come from lakes and rain water.

And there's this thing called an estuary, and it is where the river connects to the ocean, and it is mixed salt and fresh water. That dumps into the ocean, turning the fresh water right into salt water.

Didn't you take 2nd grade science?

Answer 2

OK lets start with the salty ocean.

The water evaporates, but the salt can't so it stays in the sea.

The evaporated water goes into clouds and the clouds move over hills, and let loose all their water.

The water joins into rivers, and then goes to the ocean, and is returned, then it starts all over again =]

hope i helped

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/preview...

thats a diagram of the system

Answer 3

water molecules initially don't have salt content, but as it travels along run, it carries many minerals and salts from the sand . And evaporation does not affect the river water in their long run. but when it enters into sea, a bulk of saltwater content is formed because of the huge amount of evaporation process.thus more and more water evaporates,for a millions of years, keeping the salt within the sea.

Answer 4

As water flows on and through the soil on its way to the ocean, it picks up salts and other minerals. The concentration is very low so the water is still considered to be "fresh". Over millions/billions of years the water in oceans evaporates but the salts don't and continue to build up causing the water to get salty. This is why some places like the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea are even saltier than the oceans.