949

The characteristics of sea water.

THAT THE OCEAN DOES NOT PENETRATE UNDER THE EARTH.

The ocean does not penetrate under the earth, and this we learn from the many and various springs of fresh water which, in many parts of the ocean make their way up from the bottom to the surface. The same thing is farther proved by wells dug beyond the distance of a mile from the said ocean, which fill with fresh water; and this happens because the fresh water is lighter than salt water and consequently more penetrating.

Which weighs most, water when frozen or when not frozen?

FRESH WATER PENETRATES MORE AGAINST SALT WATER THAN SALT WATER AGAINST FRESH WATER.

That fresh water penetrates more against salt water, than salt water against fresh is proved by a thin cloth dry and old, hanging with the two opposite ends equally low in the two different waters, the surfaces of which are at an equal level; and it will then be seen how much higher the fresh water will rise in this piece of linen than the salt; by so much is the fresh lighter than the salt.

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
XVI: Physical Geography.
. . .
General introduction.
929
The arrangement of Book I.
930
Definitions.
931,
932
Of the surface of the water in relation to the globe.
933,
934,
935,
936
Of the proportion of the mass of water to that of the earth.
937,
938
The theory of Plato.
939
That the flow of rivers proves the slope of the land.
940
Theory of the elevation of water within the mountains.
941
The relative height of the surface of the sea to that of the land.
942,
943,
944,
945
Refutation of Pliny’s theory as to the saltness of the sea.
946,
947
The characteristics of sea water.
948,
949
On the formation of Gulfs.
950,
951
On the encroachments of the sea on the land and vice versa.
952,
953,
954
The ebb and flow of the tide.
955,
956,
957,
958,
959,
960
Theory of the circulation of the waters.
961,
962
Observations in support of the hypothesis.
963,
964,
965,
966,
967,
968,
969
. . .