There are questions so unusual that they don’t seem to make sense. Isaac Newton, for example, thought one day to wonder why the apple fell from the tree. Back then, the question didn’t seem to fit, but the reason why the apple fell was quite an event: gravity. Therefore, no question is trivial. whatWhat color is the sun? Or what color is the water? They seem like questions with obvious answers, but they are not. Have you ever wondered what color the sea really is? Well Today in Supercurioso we have proposed to answer why the sea is blue. Will you join us to discover it? Let us begin!
What color is the sea really?
It is curious that if we ask any child to draw us a glass of water, they will probably use the color blue to paint the water. However, we know that it is not blue, but transparent. And here is a basic point when investigating what color is the sea. In fact, the water is tasteless colorless and odorless; so it has no smell, taste or color.
What’s more, if we see a shallow and uncontaminated stream, we can appreciate its transparency. But then why is the sea blue? Let’s see what are the main factors that influence the human eye to perceive it in this way.
3 factors that affect why the sea is blue
1. The color of the sky, a refuted hypothesis
When talking about what color the sea is, we will almost automatically say: blue. Well, one of the most frequent explanations for why the sea is blue, says that it is because of the color of the sky, since the sea reflects it. And, although its use in schools has been very frequent, over time it has been shown that it is not real.
In fact, the explanation of why the sea is blue has much more to do with physics, and with how light works. Although the scientific community, and especially those who are dedicated to physics, are very aware of this, the truth is that most people do not know how colors and light really work.
One of the curiosities of the sun is that it is constantly sending us electromagnetic radiation that greatly influences life on Earth. All that the human being can see of that radiation is light. This light, white in color, is made up of all the colors of the color spectrum (that is, the color white is made up of all the colors that human beings can see).
Being so, all the colors that we can see in our daily life are nothing more than the colors that these objects reflect from the light they get from the sun. That is, all the objects with which we interact in turn receive light, and of that light they absorb one part and reflect the other. Thus, white objects are capable of reflecting all the light they receive.
Secondly, red objects, for example, absorb lower wavelengths (different shades, such as blue, are found on this scale) and they reflect the other waves, like red. This is a process that we are not aware of all the time, but it affects how we see the world, and affects everything. This being the case, this influences the color of the sea. We cannot understand why the sea is blue without first understanding this process.
2. The incidence of light on the sea
Another aspect that determines what color the sea is, or at least how it is perceived by the human eye, is the incidence of light. Surely there are many things you didn’t know about colors, and this may cause you some doubts (such as, for example, if we all see the same colors). But let’s continue inquiring about the blue of the sea…
As we told you, the colors are nothing but the reflection of light, and what happens with the sea is nothing different from this. The sea perceives sunlight and, from there, absorbs some colors and reflects other colors. Contrary to what happens with red-colored objects (or, rather, that reflect red), the sea absorbs the highest wavelengths (for example, the color red) which causes it to end up reflecting other shades, like blue, one of the most frequent in the case of the sea.
Of course, there are other factors that influence why the sea is blue. For example, how polluted the water isthe depth of the ocean and the same marine life that is present or not in that sea.
A sea with a lot of algae, for example, will not have the same color as a sea without algae. However, what is most decisive in terms of the colors of the sea is, without a doubt, the light it receives from the sun, and it is this phenomenon that ends up answering the question of why the sea is blue.
3. The crystal clear waters
The last factor that influences the color of the sea is the water itself. If it is understood that the sea is blue, what happens then with the crystalline waters? Because they exist? And why when I serve a glass of water is it not blue?
It seems that there is a cat locked up, but the truth is that it is not like that. As we told you above, there are several factors that influence this process, and one of them is the depth of the ocean, as well as the amount of water there is.
Water is colorless, and this means that a large amount of water is needed to produce that effect that makes it look blue. It is for this reason that depending on the depth of the ocean, its color varies, and this is also the reason why a small stream can be completely crystal clear, while a wide and deep river cannot.
All these phenomena have been with us since the beginning of time, and this makes asking why the sea is blue seem silly, just as many thought asking why apples fell from the tree was silly. silly, but the truth is that all these facts hide deeper questions that are, without a doubt, surprising.
What did you think of our article on what color is the sea? Did you know how sunlight influences everything we see? Do you know other water curiosities? You cannot imagine everything that is hidden in a drop of water.
And if you are a fan of the sea, don’t miss this selection of the best beaches in Spain and what you should know about having a pet fish. Do not forget to leave us your opinion in the comments, we will be looking forward to reading you!