Do All Bodies of Water Connect?

In the context of liquid water flow between bodies of water, the answer is no. While all water is connected through the water evaporation cycle, not all bodies of water are directly connected to each other.

Isolated Water Bodies

There are several notable examples of bodies of water that are not connected to the oceans. For instance, the Dead Sea, Aral Sea, and Caspian Sea are all endorheic basins. This means they lack outflow and water can only leave them through evaporation. The Great Salt Lake in Utah and the Salton Sea in California are also not connected to any oceans.

The Water Cycle and Connection

While certain bodies of water like the Great Salt Lake and Salton Sea may lack direct connections to oceans, the global water cycle ensures that they are indirectly connected to the oceans. Rain falls everywhere, eventually contributing to the oceans through the evaporation cycle. Even in isolated basins, water either evaporates or is gradually transported to the sea.

The Global Water Network

The oceans, particularly the major ones, are interconnected. The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, for instance, are connected through the Panama Canal, which allows water to flow between them. Similarly, the Indian Ocean is connected to the Antarctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through various basins and channels.

Groundwater and Isolation

Besides surface water, groundwater can be even more isolated. Groundwater can remain hidden beneath the Earth's surface for millions or billions of years before it is eventually exposed to evaporation or subduction. This subduction process can release water back into the mantle as hydrogen and oxygen.

Meteoroid and Comet Impacts

From a geological perspective, water can also leave the Earth entirely through the impact of meteoroids or comet remnants. These impacts can launch atmospheric or hydrospheric water to escape velocity, making it impossible for this water to return to Earth in the future.