THE OCEAN: ITS POTENTIALITIES AND PRODUCTS 3 



Table 2. Analysis of Oceanic Salts 

 Percentage on water-free basis 



A B C D E 



Chlorine (CI) 55.292 55.185 55.25 ( 55.46 ) 55.30 



Bromine (Br) 0.188 .179 \ ) 0.16 



Sulfate (SOJ 7.692 7.914 7.56 7.59 7.72 



Carbonate (CO,) 0.207 0.213 0.37 0.30 0.19 



Sodium (Na) 30.593 30.260 30.76 30.53 30.51 



Potassium (K) 1.106 1.109 1.14 1.12 1.12 



Calcium (Ca) 1.197 1.244 1.22 1.21 1.19 



Magnesium (Mg) 3.725 3.896 3.70 3.79 3.81 



Total 100.000 100.000 100.00 100.00 100.00 



A. Dittmar ( 1884). Mean of 77 analyses of sea water from many localities collected 

 by the Challenger expedition (Salinity 3.301 to 3.727 per cent). 



B. Makin ( 1898). Mean of 22 samples of Atlantic water collected on a voyage from 

 the Cape of Good Hope to England (Salinity average 3.631 per cent). 



C. Wheeler (1910). Mean of 5 samples of water taken from near Beaufort, N. C. 

 (Salinity 3.179 to 3.607 per cent). , ^t i 



D. Schmelck (1882). Mean of 51 incomplete analyses of water from the North 

 Atlantic between Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland and northward to 

 Spitzbergen (Salinity 3.37 to 3.56 per cent). 



E. Natterer (1892, 1893, 1894). Average of 42 samples of waters collected during 

 the voyages of the Austrian steamer Pola in the eastern Mediterranean ( Salinity 

 3.836 to 4.115 per cent). 



The age of the ocean can be determined with some exactness by knowledge of 

 two factors: (1) the total amount of sodium now present in the ocean, assuming 

 that it has been added in a constant manner without serious loss, and (2) the 

 annual amount of sodium added by the rivers. Joly (1900) estimated the age of 

 the ocean by dividing the total estimated amount of sodium by the annual amount 

 contributed by the rivers and obtained 89,222,900 years. Clarke (1924) has dis- 

 cussed Joly's calculations in the light of the most rehable figures obtainable at 

 the present time, and after making allowance for various possible errors, concludes 

 that "the age of the ocean, since the earth assumed its present form, is somewhat 

 less than 100,000,000 years." 



Gold, silver, and radium are among the elements contained in sea water. Very 

 small amounts of these elements have been found, and they are ordinarily listed 

 as traces. Nevertheless, their presence in sea water has attracted much attention. 



E. Sonstadt (1872) was the first to find a trace of gold in sea water. Numerous 

 observers have verified his observation. C. A. Miinster (1892) found 5 to 6 mg 

 of gold and 19 to 20 mg of silver per ton of water from the Kristiania Fjord, Nor- 

 way. Liversidge (1895) analyzed AustraUan waters and found gold to the extent 

 of 0.5 to 1.0 grains per ton. 



Inasmuch as sea water, salt, and oceanic sediments are all more or less radio- 

 active, various observers have concluded that they contain radium. Joly has esti- 

 mated that 1 cc of sea water contains on the average 0.017 X 10 ^^ gram of 

 radium. However, there is no evidence to show that this radioactivity is due solely 

 to radium. 



