What is one major source of the dissolved salts in the ocean?

Question

I am rather confused and would very much like to know the answer, seeing as I don't even understand what this question is asking. Thank you in advance for the help!

Answer 1

Pretty much as "Curiosity" has said but the minerals broken down by erosion are broken down into soluble form and this is what is swept from the surface of the earth into the oceans. It is not salt itself that is dissolved, salt deposits are not that common, but Sodium ions and Chloride ions derived from the weathering of rocks. Of course other ions get dissolved as well, but some, especially Calcium and Carbonate can precipitate out as solids ( forming Limestome) or get taken up by organisms like plankton.

While the old fashioned view is that just about all the minerals (like Salt) come from eroded materials from the earth's surface modern geologists are seeing an increacing role for underwater volcanic action at mid-oceanic ridges in releasing salts into the oceans, look for "Black Smokers" in search engines for example

Answer 2

Most of the ocean's salts were derived from gradual processes such the breaking up of the cooled igneous rocks of the Earth's crust by weathering and erosion, the wearing down of mountains, and the dissolving action of rains and streams which transported their mineral washings to the sea.

In other words, as salt bearing rocks on the continents, were weathered salt was released and some was picked up by rivers.  The rivers then transported the salt to the oceans.

Some of the ocean's salts have been dissolved from rocks and sediments below its floor. Other sources of salts include the solid and gaseous materials that escaped from the Earth's crust through volcanic vents on the ocean floor.

Hope this helps you!