Q. It seems to me that nearly all of the rain that comes from a hurricane is water drawn from the sea. If that is truly the case, what happens to the salt in the sea water as it becomes rain?
-- Gary Proctor, Stone Mountain
A. Rain water is always fresh water, even if its original source was from the ocean, WSB Radio meteorologist Kirk Mellish told Q&A on the News. "In Atlanta, much of our rain that falls is evaporated moisture from the salty Gulf and/or Atlantic. But if you taste it, you won't taste salt," he wrote in an email. "That's because when water evaporates, it leaves all solids, including salt, behind." When water vapor condenses back to water droplets to form clouds, condensation occurs onto "condensation nuclei," which are microscopic particles of dust, dirt, pollution or salt. The particles are too small to provide any significant salt content in the rainwater, Mellish said. "Even the clouds from a hurricane that form from evaporated seawater contain only fresh water," he wrote. At sea or near coastal areas the "sea spray" from crashing ocean waves can contain salt and may be carried by the wind well inland, but the salt concentration would be minute, and does not come from storm clouds. "Likewise, storm surge flooding inland would be direct ocean water and would be salty like the sea," Mellish said.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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