Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-21
The Color of the Sea.

FYohN NttcHCt fOF Il tts
The changes in the color Of the sen
have attracted the attention of seaiaring
men trom the earliest times. They struck
with wonder the PhUnicians when first
\ they ventured out of the Mediterranea n
| into the Atlantic; they excited the aston
| iehment OF Columbus and terrified his
! companions while IN search OF the far
| famed Indies; and they are no less sur
| prise to the modern navigator, to whom
| the march Of discovery has left few unex-
4 plored regions in store. Numerous theo-
I ries were offered in explanation Of these
/ changes, some assembling them TO the
! varying color of the sea-bottom; some TO
! differences in depth; others to the pres
ence Of certain cOlOrimg substances; 9th
/ ers again to the chemical composition of
/ the water. Most OF these suggestions
\ contained an element Of truth, although
I no one of them, taken by itself, sufiiced
TO account for alienation in color
which had often been observed 20
occur in the course of few hours
sail, and within distance measuring
less than a ships length. OF late years
"a the reader rs aware, numerous sCien-
tific expeditions have been fitted out and
dispatched by the governments OF Eng
land, Norway, Germany and America for
the express purpose OF exploring the
secrets OF the deep. Among the problems
WHICH nave nONs iDA tue IA o. hitlGs It-
ceived a satisfactory solution, new light
has also been thrown upon the conditions
which affect the color Of the sea water in
every part of the ocean. thus completing
the information for which we were in
debted TO the unaided eXeE&iOns OF earlier
travellers. One Of the most remark able
and most widely distributed contrasts Of
color IS that which is known 20 exist be-
tween the intensely blue seas situated
I...f
seas Of higher ATTITUDES. 1t
appears, as the result of recent
Z observations, and more especially of a
series of experiments made on board the
German irigate Gazell0. that there is an
Intimate relation between the oOlOrs OF
sea water aud the proportion Of salt held
m solution BY the latter. On comparing
the specific gravity OF green water with
that Of blue water, 10 WIS found that the
latter rs always heavier than the former
ana. therefore. at the same time more salt,
I the Two differently cOlOred waters being
supposed TO have the same temperature.
lu other words, thC greater or lesser in
teusity OF the blue color Of sea water may
DEE taken az direct index Of its galtuess
and % its specific gravity, so TINT when
we observe The color OF the water sue.
cessite.y change from a deep blue ~ a
blush green aud q dark green, We
may conclude that The water has be-
come ut thg same Time less SAIL and less
heavy Inis result agrees with TIN expo-
riencs Of naFigators 10 every pagt OF inc
ocean, for ~ tbs vessel proceeds from the
denee and salt waters ~ the tr0fdeal ne.
RinnH towards thr lighter and fresher
waters o. higher ihUtudes. and the polar
regions, the color of the sea- Is seen t0
change nom au intense blue Io grcenlsh
blue and green tIui. There Hfe. however.
numerous exceptions. Green seas ure
met with between ta tfonies, and biue
seas are encountered boz tla temperate re.
giun. ard even within the Afcur circle.
but fhtHe exceptions. nf from euntrauIrt.
ing. only tend tO cuuhrm t1a above rule.
-. sso o, 7, ~, 59s , h. y. a.s $500.