๐ง Explore Water Colors
Deeper in the ocean, red and orange light are absorbed, leaving mostly blue.
Why is Water Colorless?
A small glass of pure water looks clear and colorless โ light passes right through it! But oceans and lakes often look blue, green, or even brown. What's going on?
โก Fun Fact:Pure water actually absorbs red light very slightly more than blue light. In a small glass this is impossible to notice, but in a deep ocean, red light gets absorbed and only blue light survives โ so deep, clear water really is a little bit blue!
The ocean also looks blue because it reflects the blue sky above it, just like a mirror reflects whatever is in front of it.
๐ Example:Rivers and lakes can look green or brown when they carry algae, mud, or sand. Algae can tint water green, while sediment (tiny bits of dirt and sand) can turn water muddy brown.
๐ก Tip:The deeper you go underwater, the darker and bluer it gets, because sunlight's colors get absorbed one by one โ red disappears first, then orange, then yellow, leaving blue light to travel the deepest!