Why Is Rain Water Not Salty?

Rainwater is not salty. Salty water is collected from the ground when it washes up minerals collected from the ground. But why is rainwater not salty when oceans and seas are salty? Why are rivers not salty? This article explains the process.

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How is rain formed?

Rain is formed through clouds. A minimum of 70% of air humidity helps create clouds. They work on a draft basis where they attract water particles. When the raindrops are too heavy to hold, the clouds release the droplets creating what we know as rain.

Rainwater can be salty at times

However, rainwater can be salty at times, but in small quantities. There are 2 ways in which rainwater can appear salty. Dust, salt, and ice can be all part of clouds. They can be the root source of salt in rainwater.

How does rainwater collect salt?

But there’s another way in which rainwater collects salts. When clouds are formed above seas and above the ocean, droplets collect evaporated salts in the air only to bring them into the oceans again.

Rivers always flow into the ocean

Salt is generally not formed in clouds that are above the land and rivers. While rivers can collect salts and minerals from the ground they travel on, these minerals can’t be stored as rivers always flow into the ocean, taking salts with them.

Rainwater is pure and in most cases drinkable

Rainwater is not salty by default. It is how clouds have formed that impact the salt levels in the rain together with the location of the clouds. Around the tropics where the evaporation process is more pronounced due to higher annual temperature, rainwater can collect more salt particles evaporated into the air. Around the tropics where the evaporation process is more pronounced due to higher annual temperature, rainwater can collect more salt particles evaporated into the air. But in most cases, rainwater is pure and it is even using drinkable water around the world for centuries.