Purify My Heart Pastel/Paper

The FisherMan in the Storm Oil/Clayboard

Why is the sea blue?
There is no single cause for the colors of the sea.  What is seen depends in part on when
and from where the sea is observed.  Eminent authority can be found to support almost
any explanation.  Some explanations include absorption and scattering of light by pure
water; suspended matter in sea water; the atmosphere; and color and brightness variations
of the sky.  For example, one theory is that when sunlight hits seawater, part of the white
light, composed of different wavelengths of various colors, is absorbed, and some of the
wavelengths are scattered after colliding with the water molecules.  In clear water, red
and infrared light are greatly absorbed but blue is least absorbed, so that the blue wave-
lengths are reflected out of the water.  The blue effect requires a minimum depth of 10
feet (three meters) of water.

© Copyright 2007 Olivia Cameo Lewis, All Rights Reserved
Email: olivia@artcellar.net

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