If water flowing over continents in rivers is what concentrates salt in our ocean, would a planet that has always been covered in water just be freshwater? The water is just sitting there, not eroding through salts.

  • Revan343
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    2 months ago

    In freeze desalination, the initial ice crystals before it freezes solid are pure water; you mostly freeze a volume of saltwater into slush, strain out the ice, and discard the liquid (which will be brine; higher in salt than your initial water).

    Probably not super efficient, and probably needs multiple steps, but I dunno. Somewhere where the ambient temperature is below freezing, but geothermal is available, it could work at scale, but if you have to refrigerate, you’re probably better off with regular distillation