Why does sea water taste salty? I wonder why does sea water taste salty? It’s a question that has been asked by countless people down the ages. And the answer seems straightforward: rain constantly erodes the surface of the Earth, washing a mix of natural chemicals into rivers and thence into the sea. The most water-soluble and abundant of these just happen to taste salty. All very simple. Or is it? After all, erosion has been taking place for millions of years, dumping ever more of these salty compounds into the sea, yet the concentration is still far below the saturation level. So the real mystery is not why the sea tastes salty, but why it isn’t utterly packed with salt, and as lifeless as the Dead Sea. Here is another curious thing about our planet. Its atmosphere has existed for billions of years, and yet is still contains a mix of highly reactive gases like oxygen and methane. Why haven’t they settled down into a boring unreactive atmosphere like that of Mars or Venus? Do you have any clue? I've been thinking about it a lot but unable to settle a matter about this idea.. Right?