why when you look at the sea does it look blue or green, when the water is actually clear?

Answer 1

Water and ice are both slightly blue---they absob blue light more than red. This is not apparent to the eye unless the light travels through a meter or so of either material.

If the ocean looks green, it is because of algae.

Answer 2

The water contains many items inside of it (algae, plants, microorganisms). But when you look down at the water, you see through the reflections and glares on top of the water, then at a certain depth, the sun can no longer penetrate further so it becomes dark to a color such as blue or green

Answer 3

The blue is a reflection of the sky and the green is all of the alga in the water.

Answer 4

The water absorbs all the colors except green/blue. The amount of salt, and other compounds will cause the water to look greenish or bluish.

Answer 5

Blue wavelengths are absorbed the least by the deep ocean water and are scattered and reflected back to the observer’s eye
Particles in the water may help to reflect blue light
The ocean reflects the blue sky

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/oceanblue.htmlhttp://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/feb98/887691022.Bc.r.html

Answer 6

things in the water and also it can be wear a drop off is, like if you were to walk in and then a deep hole is there. and it reflects the sky.

Answer 7

It looks blue, cause you see the reflection of the sky (which is blue).

Answer 8

I think it has something to do with the Algae or something in the water.. and the amount of salt...

Answer 9

Algae (sp?) and reflection of the sky.

Answer 10

its a reflection of the sky