Why is Some Water Clear and Some Murky
Hint: It’s Not About Pollution
Ever wondered why some beaches have crystal-clear waters, while other seem dark and grey? Barring exceptions, the cause of the difference is color is not due to the amount of human pollution near the ocean, but there are other factors involved. These factors can help us understand the difference between waters of the northern ocean and the Caribbean.
One major factor is the rotation of the planet, which causes ocean waters to move from west to east. This in turn causes ‘upwelling’ along certain coasts, a phenomenon where warmer waters are replaced by colder waters in ocean. The warmer surface waters move out to sea, and the cooler water that comes in is highly sedimented.
This explains why water in the Pacific Ocean turns brown or grey, whereas waters off the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic stay clear because they don’t experience this kind of upwelling.
However, waters can remain clear even when there is upwelling. Examples include the coasts of the Philippines or Hawaii. There are lots of waves, but the water doesn’t get murky. Other examples include coasts near the Turks or Caicos Islands. This is because along with the earth’s rotation, the color of the water depends on what’s inside it.
Most of the time, grayish-looking water are richer in nutrients than ‘cleaner’ oceans. Murky waters, for the most part, provide breeding ground to more living organisms, such as algae and jellyfish. These also make the water appear darker.
Finally, sediments are formed by sand and silt, and other particles that stay afloat. On the other hand, clearer waters may also be highly sedimented, but in this case, the particles may include shells or chunks of dead coral, which are not easily agitated.
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Fatima M.
Freelance Blogger
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