Are the oceans on earth becoming saltier as time passes?  Will they become dead like the dead sea?
90693
At the moment, they are in balance.  The salt in the ocean came from minerals and rocks dissolved over millions of years. To markedly increase salinity in the world's ocean, a substantial quantity of water would have to be lost. In general, our planet biosphere has a set quantity of water. It is either tied up in oceans, living creatures, clouds/vapor, ice or the freshwater sources in wells, rivers, etc. What evaporates from the sea is ultimately returned via rivers, runoff, etc. The melting icecaps is actually a SUBSTANTIAL contributer to the total volume of the seas. However, as sea levels rise, so does rthe capacity to absorb more minerals, so the salinity would fluctuate over a few thousand years and stabilize about where it is now.
1126079
The Red Sea is not the lowest point on earth.  However, I do believe that you are thinking of the Dead Sea!  The Dead Sea is one of the lowest points on earth, and water that flows into it does not flow back out (it is called the dead see because it is so salty that no living thing can survive in it.  It's so salty that it actually makes it easier to float!)  The actual lowest point on earth is Mariana's trench, which is in the pacific ocean near Southeast Asia.  I believe that the depth is around 28000 feet (the last time I knew, no submarine had ever touched the bottom, but they did come to within about 3 feet of the bottom).  I hope that that sufficiently answered your question.
467205
most people believe the seas are as much as 500 million years old because animals that lived then occur as fossils in rocks which once were under ancient seas. There are several theories about the origin of the seas, but no single theory explains all aspects of this puzzle. Many earth scientists agree with the hypothesis that both the atmosphere and the oceans have accumulated gradually through geologic time from some process of "degassing" of the Earth's interior. According to this theory, the ocean had its origin from the prolonged escape of water vapor and other gases from the molten igneous rocks of the Earth to the clouds surrounding the cooling Earth. After the Earth's surface had cooled to a temperature below the boiling point of water, rain began to fall and continued to fall for centuries. As the water drained into the great hollows in the Earth's surface, the primeval ocean came into existence. The forces of gravity prevented the water from leaving the planet.\n       All water, even rain water, contains dissolved chemicals which scientists call "salts." But not all water tastes salty. Water is fresh or salty according to individual judgment, and in making this decision man is more convinced by his sense of taste than by a laboratory test. It is one's taste buds that accept one water and reject another.\nOcean water is indeed a complex solution of mineral salts and of decayed biologic matter that results from the teeming life in the seas. 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. 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 or that originated in the atmosphere.
194804
I'm not sure if the sea level rise is that dramatic. There are a lot of different predictions being bandied about. The estimate from the telegraph is that there will be a 20ft rise by 2600. The rise this century is expected to be about 1m.
465834
the Dead Sea, in the Middle East, has so much salt in it, nothing can live. it is the lowest point on Earth.  it borders Jordan and Palestine.
802469
A huge die-off caused either by a plague, or poisoned water, or starvation. The planet will turn on us and wipe us out. Then it will start all over again with bacteria and salt water.
45610
Yes, and the ocean floor does change shape and volume over time. One effect of tectonic activity is that the mid-ocean ridges sometimes increase in height and can cause gobal sea-level rise, or if they fall they will cause sea-level drop. Other tectonic activity may offset this rise by opening the oceans wider or making them narrower. Right now the Pacific Ocean is growing in width by about 4 centimeters per year. There are many other factors that can affect sea level though, including different types of plate tectonic movement and global temperature changes.\n\nVolume is defined as ( I quote):\n   "1. The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space, expressed in cubic units.\n   2. The capacity of such a region or of a specified container, expressed in cubic units." Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=volume\n\nWhen I refer to volume of the ocean basin, I am refering to the capacity (2). It does change.
193889
The oceans have changed due to the nuclear tests or explosions which have gone unnoticed externaly.\nGod is not a person like a human form as is being made out by many religions but an all prevading all knowing phenomena within the phenomena known externaly to human beings.\nEvery thought process generated in any mind has its effect and brings about changes.\nyour thoughts too are being recorded and being appreciated by the so called GOD but the all prevading inteligence.\nYou become what you think is not wrong .\nGod is creating conditions which will abolish mankind.\nThe conciousness of this planet is changing all arround.\nWhy sperm whales if a handfull of dust converts to deadly virus and adopts wings through the rain, which rises from the oceans, this will be end of mankind.\nI am part of this dust and will stay as dust as long as dust particles exist any where in the skies.\nI see myself not only as a whale but even as an insect or a worm and will perform my journey of the kind .\nmraju69@yahoo.com
446540
Geological movement over the years cut off it's source and outlet, thus isolating the Salton Sea. Water evaporates but the salt doesn't.
103595
end times is not the same as the earth will be done away compleatly.  i agree that it'll be here forever.\n\nthe end times is about the end of satan's run.\n\nthe BIBLE is alive, so, no it wont be old fashioned.
564138
unlikely...even though the icecaps have been retreating over the last several decades, the Dead Sea has been drying up, mostly because of dams on the Jordan river above diverting water.
258485
As water flows down rivers into the ocean, minerals dissolve in it. When the water gets to the ocean, solar radiation vaporizes the water and leaves the dissolved minerals behind. Over time, millions and millions of years, the concentration of these minerals increases.  The Salton Sea in California is an example of a speeded up version of the process. About the year 1909, the Colorado River was diverted from its course and flowed into the Salton Sea, which was a dry low area. It took some time to block the diversion. By the time it was complete there was a new fresh water lake there.  During the last 90+ years, that fresh water lake has turned into a sea more saline than the ocean.
923875
Salt water is denser than fresh water.
826959
The basic answer to that is:\nAs water falls on land and runs into the oceans it picks up minerals.\nWhen it gets to the ocean the minerals get mixed into the ocean water.\nSunlight causes the water to evaporate but leaves the minerals behind.\nThe water then falls on land again repeating the process.\nEventually the salt content in the oceans built up to where it is today. And continues to build up.
496521
The concentration of salt in seawater varies with temperature.  Because the Arctic and Antarctic oceans are colder than the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the salt is less soluble.  By the same principle, seawater near the floor of the ocean would be less salty because it's cold down there.  Throw in a few baby volcanoes, the Atlantic rift and a few dozen fumaroles, etc...  Then, you would have to know how many liters of water are in the oceans and that quantity is constantly changing.  Now, are you talking about common NaCL?  Or do you want to include all the sulfates, carbonates, phosphates, etc... which are all in the ocean?  Thanks for the easy 2 points!
7692
Yes, earth is moving closer to sun every year, and eventually it will get destroyed one day. But still thousands of years are left for this to happen.
240991
Maybe Atlantis would appear again. Damn u know all these riddles. \nI think there will be alot of water