Storm Water

[Kelek's Breath he/him]

Was re-reading TWoK, and noticed that whenever someone drinks rainwater, they comment that it has a metallic taste. I am dis-counting the fact that they may all be drinking out of rusted rain barrels (Dalinar comments on it after drinking from a flask and he runs an efficient army which would not tolerate rusted barrels)Now, I'm assuming this is Highstorm water, which more common and regular than regular rainwater (Weepings, local rainstorms).

Metallic taste can usually mean one of two things in water (or both together) from what I've found (I'm far from any type of expert on any of this):

1. Water may be rich in minerals such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, or bacteria from these metals once it is oxidized.

2. Water may have a low pH (acidic).

 

There have been numerous topics on crem and water on Roshar, i.e. http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4686-matter-circulation-on-roshar-some-predictions-and-deductions/or http://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/4588-crem-is-the-body-of-cultivation/?hl=crem#entry73759, and I thank them for providing possible answers.

 

Some questions I have:

-Is the taste associated with the crem pH levels, which means that  the crem is acidic in nature (possibly a phosphate-fertilizer) and might have an organic origin (could Cultivation have set up a 'recycling' process-dead animals/plants feed the living)?

-If salt water is an alkaline, and there are no other major land masses east/west of the supercontinent, where does the Highstorm pick up all this water?

-If the taste is due to mineral/metal content, is crem high in iron content and that is why it is very difficult to chip if it hardens? Is mineral bacteria the reason plants grow better?

-Is ash acidic or alkaline, because what if crem is made up of ash particles from things that are burnt on Roshar (hence why you burn a prayer to the Almighty, burn the dead)?

edit ash has a liming effect on acidic soils so it must be an alkaline.

 

Anyone have any better ideas or answers?P.S. Sorry if someone has already posted something like this but I couldn't find it.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Kelek's Breath

[The Sovereign]

I would guess that your theory that it is very mineral rich is correct. I have always imagined Crem to be similar to Clay. As we know that the Highstorms are invested I would expect that that the Crem itself is too. I suspect this is what makes it difficult to chip.
 

Kaolinite is the chemical compound for pure clay. If my guess that Crem is like clay is correct, then it is probably chemically close to Kaolinite (Al2O3 2SiO2 2H2O) That would make it high in Aluminum and Silicone

It should also be noted that Kaolinite has an average pH level of 5.8 so it falls in line that the water would taste acidic.
 

Edited July 13, 2015 by Iron Eyes