About 5-6 years ago whilst on holiday in england me and my family went down to the beach at night(no one else around). We noticed as the waves were crashing onto the pebbles, the pebbles were all shimmering a fluroscent white/green colour. When we threw pebbles into the sea the water that splashed up was also a white/greeny flourescent colour. This happened two nights in a row then stopped. What was this??
2007-02-16 01:19:20 · 5 answers · asked by JAMESYb 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It was on a beach close to Lowestoft, Suffolk
2007-02-16 08:23:59 · update #1
Its plankton. I know it sounds weird, but a few tiems a year, espcially during summer, there iamount of phytoplankton booms which causes the phenomenon Red Tide. During the day, red tide looks like a reddish vail over the ocean. During the evening, it looks like an illuminated vail. Check out this link for visuals,m ans decide for yourself of this is what you saw: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/07/07/news/coastal/21_49_187_6_05.txt
2007-02-16 01:25:32 · answer #1 · answered by MM 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Almost certainly a planktonic / algal bloom. Sometimes they are capable of fluorescence. Often they are short lived events. I hope you didn't go swimming, as these plankton blooms can be highly toxic.
I would be interested to know where exactly in England you observed this phenomenon? Sometimes algal blooms like this are excacerbated by pollution.
2007-02-16 08:05:03 · answer #2 · answered by grpr1964 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like some sort of radioactive chemical was washed up on the beach !
2007-02-16 01:24:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
sounds good you should have bottled it and used it for lighting.
I love Enid Blytons Famous Five stories just like this story its exciting yet true.
Yes its plancton. I have never seen it thanks for the description.
2007-02-16 02:33:56 · answer #4 · answered by jupiteress 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This was all of you having hallucinations.
2007-02-16 01:47:58 · answer #5 · answered by Nishaant 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋