Post by Bennett D. Ebberly on Jun 30, 2002 23:59:05 GMT -5
One thing that is obvious about the ocean is it's salt content!!
Have you ever wondered why the ocean is so salty? How do you suppose it got that way?
Can you believe that if all the dissolved solids in the ocean were taken out of the world's oceans and spread over the Earth's present land area, they would cover the land to an approximate depth of 500 feet!!!!! That's as high as a 40-story Office Building!!! That much!!!!
How the oceans began...........
Astronomical processes involved in the development of a solar system and of planets circling a sun have much to do with the early beginnings of Earth. But for the purposes of this discussion, I will not go into all that. (Although if you'd like me to, I will do that in another board!!)
I will merely state that the Earth, at a particular point during its early development, was basically a ball of molten rock. Current theories hold that the "degassing" of igneous rocks from deep within the early planet's molten interior gradually formed the planet's atmosphere. This process continued for perhaps millions of years. This includes early volcanism. Through this prolonged time of "degassing", water vapor and other gases gradually formed Earth's atmosphere.
The Earth in this early stage of its development was very hot. It was so hot that water in its liquid form could not exist. It was not until the primeval planet had cooled to a temperature below the boiling point of water, that rain could begin to fall on Earth. At first, much of that rain boiled right back into the atmosphere as water vapor.
But once early Earth cooled down enough, rain fell. It continued to rain for centuries as the unimaginable amounts of water vapor condensed and drained into the low areas of the infant Earth, if you will.
These bodies of accumulated rainwater constituted our very early oceans. Gravity kept any of the water and water vapor from leaving the planet.
I will post Part 2 of this discourse later today or tomorrow. Hey! It's 1AM here on the Eastern Seaboard!! Lol!
Bernard Ebbers
Have you ever wondered why the ocean is so salty? How do you suppose it got that way?
Can you believe that if all the dissolved solids in the ocean were taken out of the world's oceans and spread over the Earth's present land area, they would cover the land to an approximate depth of 500 feet!!!!! That's as high as a 40-story Office Building!!! That much!!!!
How the oceans began...........
Astronomical processes involved in the development of a solar system and of planets circling a sun have much to do with the early beginnings of Earth. But for the purposes of this discussion, I will not go into all that. (Although if you'd like me to, I will do that in another board!!)
I will merely state that the Earth, at a particular point during its early development, was basically a ball of molten rock. Current theories hold that the "degassing" of igneous rocks from deep within the early planet's molten interior gradually formed the planet's atmosphere. This process continued for perhaps millions of years. This includes early volcanism. Through this prolonged time of "degassing", water vapor and other gases gradually formed Earth's atmosphere.
The Earth in this early stage of its development was very hot. It was so hot that water in its liquid form could not exist. It was not until the primeval planet had cooled to a temperature below the boiling point of water, that rain could begin to fall on Earth. At first, much of that rain boiled right back into the atmosphere as water vapor.
But once early Earth cooled down enough, rain fell. It continued to rain for centuries as the unimaginable amounts of water vapor condensed and drained into the low areas of the infant Earth, if you will.
These bodies of accumulated rainwater constituted our very early oceans. Gravity kept any of the water and water vapor from leaving the planet.
I will post Part 2 of this discourse later today or tomorrow. Hey! It's 1AM here on the Eastern Seaboard!! Lol!
Bernard Ebbers