2: Mysterious Oceans

Why is the sea salty? Could Earth’s oceans ever boil away? And just how much whale pee is in the ocean? All these questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy.

Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.

Mystery #1: Why is the Ocean salty?

• Oceans on the young Earth were probably only slightly salty, but over time the mineral deposits became more concentrated, causing varying degrees of saltiness. 
• Osmoconformers - animal's "environment" on the inside matches its environment on the outside. Osmoregulators - have body structures that filter or secrete excess salt. 
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Mystery #2: Could Earth’s oceans ever boil away?

• It’s an almost unimaginable amount of water: The US Geological Survey estimated more than 300 million cubic miles of it.

Guest editor report: Underwater Volcano Creates Bubbles More Than a Quarter-Mile Across.


Mystery #3: How much of the ocean is whale pee… and worse!

• A study published in 2003 found some numbers: the sei whale expels 166 gallons (627 litres) of urine a day. 
• The fin whale expels 257 gallons (974 litres) a day!

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Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License