Since ancient times, man has been looking for the answer to the question of why the sea is salty. In fact, this taste has the water of all the seas and oceans, only the level of salinity is different for everyone. The biological diversity of this or that sea largely depends on this indicator.
But first about salt. Where does it come from? Both soils and stony rocks contain particles of various salts, and rainwater dissolves them. Rain streams flow into rivers that carry salt particles into the sea. And then everything is like in a school textbook: under the influence of sunlight, the evaporation process occurs (while water evaporates, and salt accumulates in the deep sea), and in the form of precipitation it returns to the ground again, washing away salt particles from the soil ...
But this is only part of the answer to the question "why is the sea salty." The other part must be sought at the bottom of the sea. The salinity of the sea largely depends on the composition of the seabed, and more precisely on the rocks that form it. The chemical composition of sea water practically does not change, and since it has its own for each sea or ocean, the inhabitants of the deep sea are able to survive, as a rule, only on their territory. They cannot be moved from one sea to another. The evaporation rate is also of great importance - the higher it is, the more salt is concentrated in sea water.
In general, there are many other reasons that affect the level of salinity of the sea. For example, the remoteness of the ocean affects the salinity of the Black Sea, as well as the fact that many European full-flowing rivers carry their waters here. A huge stream significantly reduces the level of salinity, which leads to a decrease in the biological diversity of the Black Sea. In comparison with the Mediterranean, the number of inhabitants of the Black Sea depths is much more modest, and the variety leaves much to be desired: here you will not meet starfish and hedgehogs, cuttlefish and octopuses, flying fish and squid. The flora of the Black Sea is also much poorer.
Why is the sea salty? There is one more point, the presence of which cannot be ignored when answering this question - land areas washed by the sea or ocean. As you can see, the answer is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.
Comparing the Black and Mediterranean Seas, their water worlds, the latter turned out to be in a better position, due to a higher level of salinity. And what is the saltiest sea in the world? The answer to this question is simple - Red. If in the Black Sea the salt content is equal to 17 grams per liter of water (in the Baltic - only five grams), then in the Red Sea this figure is more than twice as high - 35-41 grams per liter (depending on the coast).
This is due, first of all, to the lack of rivers flowing into the Red Sea, and they, as you know, carry fresh water, which in some way dilutes the sea water , reducing the concentration of salts. Here, concentration is slowly but steadily increasing. The denser layers of water in this case fall lower, cooler water is forced into the upper layers, carrying out natural mixing. In addition, the absence of rivers makes it possible for sea water to maintain its transparency and purity. And the richness of the underwater world depends on this in many ways: the diversity and beauty of the inhabitants of the Red Sea is simply amazing.
Answering questions about why the sea is salty, and which sea is the most salty, one cannot help but recall the Dead, which, being drainless, is also called a lake. The extremely high concentration of salts in its water is constantly supported by mineral springs, which make the water not only the most salty, but simply unique in composition, it is unique. It is water, as well as the famous silt mud, which, incidentally, also has a high content of mineral salts, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists who come from all over the world to improve their health on the shores of the Dead Sea .