2006-07-01 12:17:00 · 13 answers · asked by Spanky 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Sunlight is made up of all the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Some of the sunlight is reflected off the surface of the water, reflecting the color of the sky. Some of the sunlight penetrates the water and is scattered by ripples and particles in the water (this tinges the appearance of the ocean with the color of the particles). In deep water, much of the sunlight is scattered by the oxygen in the water, and this scatters more of the blue light.
Water absorbs more of the red light in sunlight; the water also enhances the scattering of blue light. Sir Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman (an Indian physicist) won the Nobel prize in 1930 for his work on light.
2006-07-01 12:21:17 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Water isn't completely transparent; it's very slightly blue. Even if it's very pure. You only notice it when you look through a great thickness of it. Same is true of ice. You notice the blue colour of ice in an ice cave. The Pupu Springs in NZ are supposed to be the purest water in the world. If you go scuba diving there you can see from one side of the basin to the other, more than 60 metres away, and you notice it.
2006-07-01 20:44:16 · answer #2 · answered by zee_prime 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ocean water usually contains floating particles of dirt, and dead and living plants and animals. They help reflect the blue light back upward - so that the lake or ocean looks blue.
2006-07-01 20:06:26 · answer #3 · answered by Smiley 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason the sky appears blue and swimming pool water seems blue.
2006-07-01 19:20:36 · answer #4 · answered by papricka w 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The water reflects the color of the sky. The sky is blue due to diffraction of light in the upper atmosphere.
2006-07-01 19:19:58 · answer #5 · answered by mathsmart 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it is all reflecting of the sky. the reason I know is because at night in Hawaii, in shallow water it is still bright blue!!! the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
2006-07-01 20:11:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The air in the atmosphere defracts blue light particles which bounce back to the earth instead of going into space. when it hits the water, the reflection that u see is the blue light
2006-07-01 19:21:43 · answer #7 · answered by hkelly05z71 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
parly through color reflection it appears blue to depths due to the fact that the refractive qualities of h2o are not limited to the surface hues and tints are due to the presence or lack of certain biological orgs in the water the green is algea
2006-07-01 19:34:58 · answer #8 · answered by Book of Changes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because that's the way God designed it! For the people who answer that it is reflecting the sky, then why when it is completely overcast, is the Ocean not gray or white?
2006-07-01 19:21:03 · answer #9 · answered by Jimmy Pete 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Reflection of the sky
2006-07-02 00:42:04 · answer #10 · answered by Sonkrisjewel 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋