why is the ocean blue?

Answer 1

i heard it's a reflection of the sky.. but i don't think that's true

Answer 2

In the first instance, the ocean appears blue because it reflects the colout of the sky, but this isn't the whole answer.

(Why the sky appers blue is an interesting question in itself, and has been asked over 5000 times on Yahoo Answers . Briefly, the sky appears blue, because the blue part of the spectrum is scattered by the air molecules, so to us on the ground, the blue light seems to be coming from everywhere- look up 'why is the sky blue, for a complete explanation).

However, reflection from the sky is only part of the answer; because water will still appear blue even on a dull day. The blue colour of the sea is a little more complicated, because as well as the water molecules scattering the blue light, the water also absorbs more of the red and yellow wavelengths, leaving the blue part of the spectrum, as well as part of the green (which is why deep water can appear bluish-green).

This effect is even stronger with ice; which results in the intense blue colour we see if we look down a crevasse in a glacier, or down a hole in the snow made by a ski stock. If there are finely divided clay particles in the water, the blue colour can be enhanced because of the blue light scattering effect of the suspended clay particles; which is why water in a flooded quarry can be intensely blue.

For a complete, scientific explanation, look up 'blue sky' in Wikipedia.

Answer 3

The ocean is blue simply because water is blue. When it isn't blue, it is because of the stuff in the water -- dirt and algae for example. Take a look at the water in a swimming pool. It's blue. It is not that color because the pool is painted blue or because they put blue dye in the water.

Water is only slightly blue, so to get a really deep blue you need a lot of water -- like in the ocean.

Answer 4

The materials in it absorb colors differently (same with the sky) so we see the blue color more dominantly when we look at it, even though all colors are being put into it. I toook oceanography and learned this but i think it has to do with the blue staying more shallow as the red goes deeper down into the ocean or something. Google the exact sciences for sure.

Answer 5

It's blue because the sky is blue and water is clear so it reflects the blue that the sky has

Answer 6

W3LL DIS IZ AN 0LD SK0TTISH L3G3ND
Once there was a big BULUGUH whale named Fred. Now, Fred was not the smartest of all the whales in the sky, so he decided one day to go near a pointed cloud. Now, this wasn't just any pointed cloud, this was the cloud of DEATH AND DESPAIR. Whosoever touched this cloud would bleed to death in a second.
So, Fred's friend Jimmy dared him to touch this cloud of clouds one fine day. Fred said "I DUNNO JIM JIM THIS S33MZ A BIT FISHY 2 ME". Jimmy replied "AHHH DONT B UH CHIKEN" Now Fred didn't know what a chicken was, but he was still quite sure he did not want to be one.
He approached the cloud. He took a deep breath and then... BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!11111
Fred was now dead.
When all of the other whales heard of this great tragedy, they began to cry like nothing had cried before. And their tears formed what we now know as the ocean.
THE END

---------------------------------
(PS whale tears are blue)

Answer 7

it is a relfection of the sky and the sand underneath the water.. the ocean is actually brown in some part of the world becuase the sand is a every dark colr. ( this doesnt mean that the water is polutted it means there is a dark reflection)

Answer 8

It seems to depend much on phytoplankton. See the links I've given you for further explanation.

Answer 9

It reflects the color of the sky.