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!

Don’t forget to subscribe! You can find more answers to life’s little mysteries at the Live Science website and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us what your life’s little mysteries are at forums.livescience.com.


Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License