If you dip your finger in seawater and then lick it, it will taste salty. Why is this? Rivers and streams flowing into the sea contain small amounts of dissolved salt that is picked up from the soil. Undersea volcanoes and springs also release salt into the sea. Water leaves the sea through evaporation, leaving behind the salt. So the remaining water tastes more salty.
Although salt is being constantly added to the sea through rivers, undersea volcanoes and springs, the excess salt forms new minerals at the bottom of the ocean. So the sea doesn’t become saltier. In fact, the amount of salt in the sea has remained the same for millions of years.
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