Table of Contents
- 1 Why is it dark in deep water?
- 2 Is the bottom of the ocean pitch black?
- 3 Why is the deep ocean cold and dark?
- 4 How did the ocean get so deep?
- 5 What if the entire ocean was clear?
- 6 Is the water at the bottom of the ocean transparent?
- 7 Why is the water not completely transparent to light?
- 8 Why are deep sea waters so clear?
Why is it dark in deep water?
In very deep water, almost all of the sun’s rays are absorbed by the water itself due to the lack of sediment and the lower amount of organic matter (like algae and jellyfish), and thus the blue appears to be darker.
Is the bottom of the ocean pitch black?
Icy cold, pitch black and with crushing pressures – the deepest part of the ocean is one of the most hostile places on the planet.
Is deep sea water transparent?
Water is transparent to the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation that fall within the visible spectrum and is opaque to wavelengths above and below this band. Sunlight that is not absorbed can be scattered by molecules and particulates suspended in the water.
Why is the deep ocean cold and dark?
Cold water has a higher density than warm water. Water gets colder with depth because cold, salty ocean water sinks to the bottom of the ocean basins below the less dense warmer water near the surface.
How did the ocean get so deep?
The deepest part of the ocean, the hadal zone, is anywhere deeper than six kilometres. The extreme depth of the Mariana Trench and other oceanic trenches is caused by subduction – where on the boundary of two converging tectonic plates, one descends down into Earth’s mantle, creating a deep trough.
How deep is the ocean pitch black?
Yet, sperm whales can dive down to this level in search of food. The Abyssopelagic Zone (or abyssal zone) extends from 13,100 feet (4,000 meters) to 19,700 feet (6,000 meters). It is the pitch-black bottom layer of the ocean.
What if the entire ocean was clear?
These areas are generally less than 150 meters below the surface. But if the oceans were to be completely transparent, theoretically, every part of the sea would be a photic zone. Sunlight would continue down over 3,500 meters (11482.94 ft)! This would allow colonies of fish to live all over the sea.
Is the water at the bottom of the ocean transparent?
The water itself is transparent, like all water. As Phil Tcheng pointed out, the clarity (transmissivity is the scientific term) depends largely on the amount of suspended particles. However, there tends to be very little suspended particles at deep water, and the transmissivity tends to be quite high.
What happens to the color of the water as it deepens?
Darkening to dark blue as the water deepens. The spectrum of water shows a weak absorption band in the blue region getting stronger towards the yellow and red regions. What would the bottom of the ocean look like if all the water were taken out?
Why is the water not completely transparent to light?
This is why on a sunny day the surface water is often quite warm but just below this it can be cold. Infra Red the heating part of the spectrum. Water even without ant tiny particles suspended in it (Turbidity) is not absolutely transparent. In fact it is somewhat selective as to what light it passes and absorbs.
Why are deep sea waters so clear?
Deep sea waters very often are fairly clear, simply because there is little disturbance from waves and winds to stir up sediments and the amount of “free floating life” (algae and the like) is relatively limited relative to shallower waters where sunlight can penetrate (fueling photosynthesis).