When does water become salty??

Water becomes salty when minerals (including salts) dissolve into it. This process begins when rainwater falls on the land and erodes rock. The minerals found in the rocks are dissolved into the rain water. These dissolved minerals in the rain water enter streams and rivers, gradually working their way into the seas and oceans. This is a process which is constantly taking place, so the level and concentration of salt in the oceans and seas are always increasing. Some of the minerals are consumed by organisms in the water, but the vast majority of them make up the saltiness of the water.