When these minerals dissolve, they form ions, which make the water salty. Why aren’t they salty? Thus, lakes are really only wide depressions in a river channel that have filled with water. Water being one of the best disolvents should eventually dissolve the entire surface of the planet and mix it thoroughly into the oceans, thus increasing the water’s salinity indefinitely. The main salts include dissolved sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium nitrate, and sodium bicarbonate. Relevance. Anonymous. 1 decade ago. Because the water is so dilute, the lake is ideal for monitoring atmospheric contaminants. Lakes are temporary storage areas for water, and most lakes tend to be freshwater. In the case of these two salted lakes, there are many rivers that get into the sea which make the sea saltier. Why is this? Sure, it might seem counterintuitive, but the ocean's saltiness is actually the result of a chain reaction that took place over hundreds of millions of years. It is estimated that the rivers and streams flowing from the United States alone discharge 225 million tons of dissolved solids and 513 million tons of suspended sediment annually to the ocean. Gases from volcanoes dissolved in the water, making it acidic. Why are these lakes salty while most of the world’s lakes are not? d) Over time rivers also helped to increase the concentration of minerals in the oceans. During this process the heavier salts are left behind, thus increasing the lakes salt concentrations. Lakes only become salty when they are at the lowest point in a large watershed and where the primary "outlet" for accumulated water is evaporation. Another reason lakes tend not to be salty is because water often leaves lakes to continue its trip toward the sea. On the other hand, the salts and minerals are carried away by the rivers in to the ocean continuously. b) In hydrothermal vents and hot springs along mid-ocean ridges ocean water circulates in hydrothermal vents and undergoes powerful reactions with the hot basalt, then it returns greatly changed in chemical composition. It eventually ends up in rivers, lakes and oceans, where it soon evaporates to form clouds and repeat the cycle. Partly it is because the water tastes salty if it contains sodium ions and chloride ions. Water also travels under the ground. Another reason lakes tend not to be salty is because water often leaves lakes to continue its trip toward the sea. More recently, ions from eroded rocks entered the ocean as rivers drained into the sea. While the majority of the world considers them lakes and they were historically a lake (really, the rivers and small lakes in that area connecting them are so small in comparison that it is basically 1 body of water), the Erie canal has since then connected the lakes to the St. Lawrence River. Lake Victoria (elevation 1,134 metres (3,720 ft)), with an area of 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi), is the largest lake in Africa. why is the ocean salty but lakes are not, One of the most significant discoveries was the inference of a global salt water ocean below the surface of Europa. Simply put, the water cycle begins when fresh water falls from the sky in the form of rain. Well, the short answer is: You're looking at it wrong. All the water that flows into these lakes escapes only by evaporation. Since the ocean does not have any outlet to dispose the salt, it becomes the final and permanant storage place of salt. This process has been recurring for millions of years. Lakes are in contact with the ground. Is the human causality the all decisive factor ? After the Flood, some lakes became fresh and some salty. why are lakes not salty You need to picture our oceans as giant sinks. Credit: CC0, via Pixabay. Water falls on land and often finds its way into either lakes or rivers. Sodium chloride Is also present in rivers and lakes, but its concentration is much lower so its extremely difficult to taste any of it. Well, some are! Other. Why are oceans salty and lakes, rivers, and reservoirs not? Why Aren't Lakes Salty? Lakes are temporary storage areas for water, and most lakes … water’s ability to form solutions of salt compounds and the cycling of water into and out of the atmosphere. However, since the lakes are not deep enough or large enough, there isn’t a significant change in the chemical constitution of the lakes. Partly it is because the water tastes salty if it contains sodium ions and chloride ions. Why is this? This vapour is made up of what used to be liquid water, snow and ice. The Great Lakes are also in question, to me at least. It all comes down to a thing called the water- or hydrological cycle. Have you wondered why lakes might not be salty? Sodium and chloride, the components of common table salt constitute a little more than 85 percent of the dissolved solids in ocean water and give to the water its characteristic salty taste, but they represent less than 16 percent of the salt content of river water. What happens is, most evaporation occurs at sea, and only water can evaporate (not salt). That is because such lakes do not have escapes to rivers or sea. c) As this lands all over the world it carries of and dissolved rocks, dead material and other minerals from the surface of the planet, and then runs of in rivers back into the oceans. Same things happen to various salty lakes since they do not have anywhere to drain water and concentration of salt increases with the evaporation of water. This means that the abundance of these substances will create specific tastes, such as saltiness. Why Aren't Lakes Salty? Lakes are temporary storage areas for water. Lakes are in contact with the ground. So, the lakes with mineral-rich rocks nearby can be much saltier. now imagine the world doign this repeated cycle over and over again. Even though, that new salt do not increases the oceans' salinity, because the oceans are enormous. This helps the oceans greatly in maintaing a constant salt concentration. Why are these lakes salty while most of the world’s lakes are not? The water residency time in these is comparatively short, with rivers, fed by lakes, flowing out to the sea. The earth around them has higher than normal levels of salt and minerals. This constant change of water means that, like with rivers and streams, there isn't any time for the concentrations of minerals to build up. If the minerals associated with a lake don’t contain much sodium, the water won’t be very salty. My little brother is diabetic, and I was wondering why I read everywhere that people with preexisting conditions like diabetes are susceptible to more severe symptoms of the virus. This means rivers and lakes have tiny fragments of salt in them, which — little by little — are carried into the sea. However, the water in the ocean collects all of the salt and minerals from all of the rivers that flow into it. However, being far from the sun, the ocean surface is completely frozen. Why are these two lakes saltier than most other lakes in the world? Have you ever wondered why the ocean is salty? Water flows in one end and out the other. As it rained for many cventuries and even milleniums. Some lakes have outlets to the ocean so they are less likely to be salty. Opinion: c) As volcanoes erupted on the ocean floor, sea water mixed and dissolved with the molten rocks and thus injecting fresh new minerals into the water’s chemical composition. Some lakes do not have a river to carry the water and salt away. High salinity will also lead to a unique flora and fauna in the lake in question; sometimes, in fact, the result may be an absence or near absence of life near the salt lake. Some of the water leaves the lakes. A ships size determines whether or not they can make the voyage because of the size restrictions of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Water flows in one end and out the other. 26 October 2003. When the fountains of the deep were lifted, the oceans must have covered the entire world. Oceans don’t have an outlet though. thanks for listening Thank you! I think none of these answers are relevant. This outgassing carried a lot of water vapour into the primitive atmosphere, which cooled on its way up and then precipitated out when the planet and its atmosphere cooled. The first guy to post was correct , water absorbs alot of things such as minerals. Why Is The Sea Salty, But Not Rivers And Lakes? As explained above, the water that falls down as rain originate as vapor from the oceans, and these vapors do not contain dissolved salts. If the minerals associated with a lake don’t contain much sodium, the water won’t be very salty. So, lakes get water from streams and rivers. lake water is not salty like sea water coz it came from accumulated rain water.. sea water is salty because it came from land, from rivers that carry salt minerals from land and after millenas of that process, salt minerals just accumulate in the sea. The water residency time in these is comparatively short, with rivers, fed by lakes, flowing out to the sea. 1 decade ago. The reason why most lakes are not salty is because they have an outlet so the minerals do not accumulate. Rivers and streams bring water to the lakes, and other rivers carry water out of lakes. In your everyday life you are not involved much with saline water. The salts and minerals in the rivers and streams, are washed away by the floods, when it rains. That is because such lakes do not have escapes to rivers or sea. If your lakes generally run into rivers, that enables them to shed excess mineral content. But, most of Earth's water, and almost all of the water that people can access, is saline, or salty water. However, not all water tastes salty, for the content of salt vary among different water bodies. The Great Lakes have an outlet: The Saint Lawrence. However, the amount of salt in each watery body varies significantly from place to place. Lakes are temporary storage areas for water. Rocks and soil erodes and turns into salt. This constant change of water means that, like with rivers and streams, there isn't any time for the concentrations of minerals to build up. 2 0. The Great Lakes are not salty because the water contained within them is on the move. Why are some salty but some not? Such as salt. Lakes only become salty when they are at the lowest point in a large watershed and where the primary "outlet" for accumulated water is evaporation. Rains or glaciers and ice caps in the mountains feed the rivers of the world. Lakes are temporary storage areas for water. Why some lakes are freshwater, and some are *very* salty. According to an article in Science Daily , a drop of water and its associated ions will remain in one of the Great Lakes for around 200 years. Why aren’t they salty? B. 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