<p>Here is a graph describing modern estimates of ocean salinity throughout the Phanerozoic (past ~550 million years). <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cMNIo.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cMNIo.gif" alt="Salinity from Hay et al., 2006"></a>
The original PDF of this study can be found here:</p>

<p><a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11894545.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hay, W.W., Migdisov, A., Balukhovsky, A.N., Wold, C.N., Flögel, S. and Söding, E., 2006. Evaporites and the salinity of the ocean during the Phanerozoic: Implications for climate, ocean circulation and life. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 240(1-2), pp.3-46.</a></p>

<p>As this graph shows, it is not linear at all and actually decreasing since the end of the Precambrian. This is a result of many factors including changing volume of ocean water, and the global chloride cycle. The details are all described in that paper. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-23T11:06:27.447Z
2018-09-23T11:06:27.447Z
Geochron
<p>After reading <a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2956/what-is-the-origin-of-the-oceans-salt">this question about the origin of NaCl on Earth</a>, I'm wondering: How did the amount of NaCl develop historically? Is it a more or less linear growth until today? Was it such a linear growth and then reached a level that it maintains until now? Or was that more complex over the billions of years of Earth's existence?</p>

<geology><geochemistry><earth-history><geochronology>
Historically, how did the total amount of salt / NaCl on Earth develop?
Florian
# Historically, how did the total amount of salt / NaCl on Earth develop?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-20)

After reading [this question about the origin of NaCl on Earth](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2956/what-is-the-origin-of-the-oceans-salt), I'm wondering: How did the amount of NaCl develop historically? Is it a more or less linear growth until today? Was it such a linear growth and then reached a level that it maintains until now? Or was that more complex over the billions of years of Earth's existence?

**Tags:** geology, geochemistry, earth-history, geochronology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-09-23. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Here is a graph describing modern estimates of ocean salinity throughout the Phanerozoic (past ~550 million years). [![Salinity from Hay et al., 2006](https://i.sstatic.net/cMNIo.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/cMNIo.gif)
The original PDF of this study can be found here:

[Hay, W.W., Migdisov, A., Balukhovsky, A.N., Wold, C.N., Flögel, S. and Söding, E., 2006. Evaporites and the salinity of the ocean during the Phanerozoic: Implications for climate, ocean circulation and life. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 240(1-2), pp.3-46.](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11894545.pdf)

As this graph shows, it is not linear at all and actually decreasing since the end of the Precambrian. This is a result of many factors including changing volume of ocean water, and the global chloride cycle. The details are all described in that paper.


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