The Future Is Here
We may earn a commission from links on this page

What Happens To Sunlight As It Filters Through The Ocean?

How far does sunlight travel into the ocean — and just what happens to all those different wavelengths of color as you go deeper into the depths?

The American Museum of Natural History put together this chart showing exactly how far light — and the different wavelengths of color that make up the full spectrum of visible sunlight — can travel into the depths of the ocean.

Advertisement

Top image: tpsdave

Within 10 meters, the red light has been filtered out of the spectrum, by 50 meters orange and yellow have also been stopped, and, by 100 meters, we're pretty much entirely down to blue light.

Advertisement

Image via @AMNH