r/ATLA • u/Kendeaux • 6d ago

Discussion Desalinate water?

Maybe this has been asked, but what do you think? Could a Waterbender desalinate water? Could an Earthbender desalinate water?

What about an Earthbender and a Waterbemder? Together, could they desalinate water?

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u/Correct_Doctor_1502 6d ago

I think both can but it would be far easier for the waterbender. Very delicate earthbending requires a lot of mastery, and pulling almost invisible crystals from water wouldn't be something average

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u/notthephonz 6d ago

I feel like pulling salt crystals out of water would be as easy for an earthbender as pulling humidity out of the air is for a waterbender.

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u/XeronianCharmer 6d ago

But the principles behind those two are entirely different. A waterbender can condense the water in the air until sublimation occurs and water is formed fairly easily.

With earth/salt, you're asking them to locate and consolidate dissolved minerals into one mass to pull from the water, but the salt itself is almost entirely dissolved into the fabric of the water.