An animated visualization showing how solar energy drives evaporation, separating pure water molecules from dissolved salts, which remain in the ocean.
Learn MotionWhy Oceans Don't Drain Into the Ground
The Global Water Cycle Balance
Evaporation: Pure Water Leaves
2 / 5
Watch how the sun heats the ocean surface. Notice that only the water molecules turn into vapor and rise into the atmosphere. The salt ions are too heavy and chemically bound to evaporate; they stay behind. This process effectively removes fresh water from the ocean while concentrating the salt, which is why the ocean is salty.
0:00 / 0:00