Why Is the Ocean Blue?
Water lovers may wonder, why is the ocean blue? There are five oceans that cover about 70 percent of the earth’s surface – the Pacific being the largest of the five. From any angle, from over the hill, in a plane, helicopter, or a space shuttle, the ocean sparkles brightly with attractive shades of turquoise and midnight blue... but why?
There are several theories on why the ocean is blue. Possible theories suggest:
- The ocean reflects the sky which is blue
- Plant life and particles in the water help reflect the color blue
- The observer’s eye absorbs only a minimal amount of scattered blue wavelengths and this is what is reflected back to the eye.
The Theory of Wavelengths of Light and Color
Wavelengths of light, perhaps, is the one theory that is most readily adopted by researchers and scientists who are trying to determine why the ocean appears blue to us. Why is the ocean blue? Why not orange or red?
The theory is that this color penetrates water further than other colors of the spectrum, thus blue light is returned to the surface of the ocean. In order for color to be seen, it must be transmitted by either visible and/or invisible light.
An object appears to be a certain color because that color is reflected through the light and transmitted. Your ability to see these colors also depends on the rods and cones receptors in your eyes.
Thus, your eye essentially sees what it wants to see. It absorbs certain wavelengths of light, reflected from the sky or the fish, and only those wavelengths of light.
To undertand with a clear example, examine you have a teddy bear. The brown teddy bear that you see has absorbed all the colors of the rainbow spectrum except brown, so this is the color you see.
Reflection from the Sky
Another possible answer to why the ocean is blue, is that blue is the primary color reflected from the sky (which also appears to be blue) and from the marine life that dwell within the deep. Other colors are absorbed into that object and become invisible to your eyes. This theory, too, involves understanding wavelengths of color and light, but also adds the element of the blue sky to the equation.
However, theories that blue is a reflection of the sky are problematic, because we don't know if the sky is really blue either. After all, the blue sky may be truly blue or it may be an iillusion of light. If it is truly blue, then those blue wavelengths and colors could be reflected, just as water shows your reflection when you lean over a clear pool.
Marine Life
The basic color of most marine life lies within the bluish end of the spectrum. From dolphins and whales and sharks to small schools of fish and coral, rich blues abound throughout the entire ocean.
This factor could also contribute to creating a blue-appearance of oceans. Plant life and particles may reflect the blue end of the color spectrum causing the ocean to appear blue.
This theory, if true, could also explain why a body of water appears green when green algae is reflected from the bottom.
Answering the Question
One of these theories could provide the answer, or all of them could. Perhaps these three things working in conjunction can begin to solve the answer to why is the ocean blue. A number of mysteries clearly abound when it comes to determining just why the ocean is blue. Regardless of which theory you pick, it is clear the ocean is beautiful, relaxing and peaceful.... you can even sit by the ocean and ponder the question of its color and feel content.