15 refreshing curiosities about sea water

Surprise yourself with these interesting revelations about salt water.

15 refreshing curiosities about sea water

If we could count the time a surfer spends submerged in salt water, we would surely be in for a surprise. Despite this, there is a lot of often unknown information about sea ​​water. Here are some interesting curiosities :

- 70% of the Earth's surface is water: 96.5% is salt water and only 3% is sweet, of which only 1% is consumable.

- The largest sea in the world is the Arabian Sea (Oman Sea) with 3,862,000 km², in the Indian Ocean (Asia). The largest body of water on Earth is the Pacific Ocean, with 166 million km².

- If all the salt in the sea were to spread over the dry Earth, it would form a layer over 150 meters thick, a height equivalent to that of a 45-story building.

- The estimated average salinity value for ocean waters is 34.72 gr / l, a figure that varies depending on whether it is in closed sea areas (Red Sea, with 42 gr / l) or locations near river mouths ( Baltic Sea, with 4 gr / l). 

The Cantabrian Sea is around 35 gr / l, compared to 38 gr / l in the Mediterranean.

- In a (bad) drink of sea water, only 10.9% is sodium chloride (common salt), the rest is made up of other mineral salts, acids and, of course, pure water.

- The saltiest water on the planet is in Lake Don Juan (Antarctica). The water is so salty that it does not freeze despite the ambient temperature being around -50º. The water contains 40% salt, 18 times more than sea water and twice that of the Dead Sea, which is eight times saltier than the rest of the oceans.

- Why is the sea salty if the rainwater and the rivers are sweet? The answer lies in the rivers that dissolve many of the elements and carry them with the current. On the other hand, the amount of salt is barely noticeable.

- If the water is transparent, why is the sea blue? The sea presents a large amount of water, mixed with other substances such as salt or calcium carbonate, which make it more difficult for light to pass through them, causing part of that light to be reflected.

- The deeper, the bluer. The deeper the sea, the greater the amount of water and the more light is reflected, so the horizon is a darker blue than the area closest to the coast. Depending on the orientation of the sun, the color of the sand or the presence of underwater vegetation, the turquoise blue of the shore can also become green.

- Brown or red. The presence of sediments also influences the color of the sea, so sometimes the sea can be brown, after a flood or a period of heavy rain, or even red, motivated by the occasional presence of red mycroalgae.

- According to a study carried out by the University of Alicante, seawater activates the immune system, exerting a protective effect, reinforcing the body against viruses, bacteria, low defenses and other seasonal pathogens, which makes it a common ingredient in medicines and therapeutic programs (thalassotherapy).

- Salt water in the kitchen. Dissolve two parts of seawater in five parts of fresh water and add it to the paella. You will see that good!

- 80% of all pollution in the seas and oceans comes from activities carried out on land.

- The average sea level has risen between 10 and 25 centimeters in the last 100 years. If all the ice in the world melted, the oceans would grow 66 meters.

- Since most of the planet's water is salty, many industries focus their efforts on desalination (or desalination), an effective alternative to get clean water from sea water.