Final answer:
The salinity of seawater is controlled by a balance of processes, with factors such as carbonic acid dissolving minerals, eroded rock ions, and volcanic activity adding ions; and evaporation, marine life uptake, and formation of new minerals decreasing ion concentration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The salinity of seawater is a balance between processes that add ions to the seawater and those that remove ions. Factors that increase the concentration of ions in seawater include:
- Carbonic acid dissolving minerals, which releases ions into the water.
- Ions from eroded rock on land, which are carried into oceans by rainwater and streams.
- Volcanic activity, which adds gases that can form ions upon dissolution in water.
Conversely, factors that decrease ion concentration include:
- Evaporation, which removes water but leaves the ions behind, effectively lowering the concentration in the remaining seawater.
- Marine life taking in ions, which removes them from the seawater.
- The formation of new minerals within the ocean, which sequesters ions from the water.