It’s not two oceans meeting, its glacial melt water meeting the off shore waters of gulf of Alaska. The reason for this strange phenomenon is due to the difference of water density, temperature and salinity of the glacial melt water and off shore waters of gulf of Alaska, making it difficult to mix.
Full Answer
Do two oceans meet but not mix in the Gulf of Alaska?
These photos do not show a place where two oceans meet but do not mix in the Gulf of Alaska. That claim has been circulating the Internet for years. A photo shows a clear line dividing the Gulf of Alaska into two halves: one dark blue and the other lighter blue. A caption reads, “Place in the Gulf of Alaska where to oceans meet but do not mix.
What makes the Gulf of Alaska so special?
Well, Gulf of Alaska speaks a different story! Having an uneven combination of mountain, forest and tidewater glaciers, Gulf of Alaska is the place where two oceans meet, but interestingly, they never mix with each other (as is believed). The color variations of dark blue and electric blue water in that merging point is clear and stunning.
Why does Alaska’s sea ice float on top of the water?
The reason for this strange phenomenon is due to the difference of water density, temperature and salinity of the glacial melt water and off shore waters of gulf of Alaska, making it difficult to mix. Ken Bruland, professor of ocean sciences at University of California-Santa Cruz, was on that cruise. In fact, he was the one who snapped the pic.
Why do the two oceans not mix?
Why do the two oceans not mix? It’s not two oceans meeting, its glacial melt water meeting the off shore waters of gulf of Alaska. The reason for this strange phenomenon is due to the difference of water density, temperature and salinity of the glacial melt water and off shore waters of gulf of Alaska, making it difficult to mix.
Why is the Pacific Ocean not blue?
The most important light-absorbing substance in the oceans is chlorophyll, which phytoplankton use to produce carbon by photosynthesis. Due to this green pigment - chlorophyll - phytoplankton preferentially absorb the red and blue portions of the light spectrum (for photosynthesis) and reflect green light.
Why does the Pacific Ocean look bluer than the Atlantic?
Oceans appear blue because the sunlight scatters across the molecules. Light from the sun is made up of a spectrum of different wavelengths. The longer wavelengths appear to our eyes as the reds and oranges, while the shorter ones appear blue and green.
Where does 2 oceans meet in Cape Town?
Cape AgulhasTHE OFFICIAL PLACE WHERE TWO OCEANS MEET AND SOUTHERNMOST TIP OF AFRICA. Officially Cape Agulhas is the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, and not the "two oceans" as believed at the Cape Point, near Cape Town (for publicity reasons). Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of Africa.
Why is the ocean two different colors?
Ocean color depends on how light interacts with the materials in the water. When light enters water, it can either be absorbed (light gets used up, the water gets "darker"), scattered (light gets bounced around in different directions, the water remains "bright"), or a combination of both.
Why is Bahamas water so clear?
The reason that the water in the Bahamas and Hawaii is clearer than along the California coast is likely a combination of both of these factors: 1) the sediments in the Bahamas and Hawaii tend to be composed of heavier particles that are not as easily stirred up or suspended, and 2) there tends to be far less ...
Why is Hawaii water so clear?
The Big Island of Hawaii is the youngest of the island chain. The majority of the coastline is still lava rock. This means there is no sand to stir up in the water. There is also less runoff from the shore.
What ocean is False Bay?
Southern Atlantic OceanFalse Bay (Afrikaans Valsbaai) is a body of water in the Atlantic Ocean between the mountainous Cape Peninsula and the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the extreme south-west of South Africa....False BayNative nameValsbaai (Afrikaans)Ocean/sea sourcesSouthern Atlantic OceanBasin countriesSouth Africa3 more rows
What is the deepest ocean in the world?
the Pacific OceanIn the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench, also known as the Mariana Trench. At 35,814 feet below sea level, its bottom is called the Challenger Deep — the deepest point known on Earth.
What ocean is Camps Bay?
Atlantic OceanBetween Clifton and Llandudno beaches, and bordered by the spectacular Twelve Apostles mountain range and the glittering Atlantic Ocean, Camps Bay is one of Cape Town's most breath-taking suburbs.
Why is the Atlantic Ocean not clear?
It's about what's in the water That's because that murky water is typically home to more living organisms, including phytoplankton (algae) and zooplankton (jellyfish and other ocean-wandering animals), which in turn make the water appear cloudy. Newport Beach in California.
Why is Caribbean water so clear?
Beneath the Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea, like other tropical ocean regions, contains warm, clear water. The water is clear due to the absence of plankton and suspended particles.
Why is Caribbean water so turquoise?
The Caribbean is such a light a shade of blue due to the tendency of the Caribbean coast to scatter sunlight. The fact that the sand is light colored and the water is relatively shallow also makes the water appear turquoise.
What are moving currents in the Gulf of Alaska?
Large eddies, known as moving currents, in the Gulf of Alaska carry glacial sediment and heavy clay from different rivers throughout Alaska, and those materials are lifted up and carried out into the gulf, according to Only In Your State .
Why don't photos show two oceans that don't touch?
As Smith noted in his caption, the image shows what happens when fresh water from glaciers melts close to saltwater from the ocean, and why it's difficult for the two bodies of water to mix because of the different densities.
Why do two bodies of water appear separate?
The two bodies of water appear separate because of different densities.
Where was the merging oceans video taken?
The video included in the posts that shows a similar phenomenon of seemingly merging oceans was captured by Steve Pearson in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver, Canada, on July 4, 2015, according to AFP .
Where is the meeting point of two oceans?
A viral image posted to social media in 2016 that has recently resurfaced purports to show the meeting point of two oceans in the Gulf of Alaska.
Where does the Fraser River reach the ocean?
The video included in the posts shows a similar situation that takes place near Vancouver. According to a 2013 study by Ocean Networks Canada, the Fraser River reached the ocean near Vancouver, and the fresh water it carries mixes with the ocean water to "form a thin plume of buoyant brackish water.".
What is the color of the water in the Gulf of Alaska?
There in the gulf, the two types of water run into each other, a light, almost electric blue merging with a darker slate-blue.
Who was on the cruise that swung out of the Gulf of Alaska?
Ken Bruland , professor of ocean sciences at University of California-Santa Cruz, was on that cruise. In fact, he was the one who snapped the pic. He said the purpose of the cruise was to examine how huge eddies -- slow moving currents -- ranging into the hundreds of kilometers in diameter, swirl out from the Alaska coast into the Gulf of Alaska.
Who took the photo of the Gulf of Alaska?
You also may have seen a variation on the photo featuring the same phenomenon, taken by photographer Kent Smith while on a July 2010 cruise in the Gulf of Alaska. That photo too has been circulating the web for some time, though the misconceptions about it seem to be less thanks to Smith's explanation of the photo on his Flickr page. That one has also been making the rounds on Reddit and social media for years, and had racked up more than 860,000 views by early 2013 on that one page alone, Smith said.
Can glacier sediment be carried out to sea?
But rivers aren't the only way that glacier sediment finds its way into the Gulf of Alaska -- occasionally strong winds can whip up enough silt to create a cloud of dust that's visible even from space as its being carried out to sea.
