• Question: Can the light from the sun reach to the bottom of the ocean

    Asked by Big sissy to Dervil, Moises, Pramod, Saoirse, Stephen on 7 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Stephen Davitt

      Stephen Davitt answered on 7 Nov 2016:

      Surprisingly light from our sun can travel billions of miles away but not actually reach the bottom of the ocean! The bottom of the deepest ocean is called the ‘Mariana Trench’ and it is 11km deep! At this depth it is pitch black, nearly zero degrees and the pressure from all of the water above you would be crushed to death.. eep!

    • Photo: Moises Jezzini

      Moises Jezzini answered on 8 Nov 2016:

      Thanks Stephen! I agree with you and love the idea of light traveling for so long in space but so short in water.

      My favorite deep sea animal is the Anglerfish, that has its own light bulb to attract preys.

    • Photo: Dr. Pramod Kumar

      Dr. Pramod Kumar answered on 8 Nov 2016:

      Sun cannot reach below about 200m or so because of many optical effects like scattering, absorption, and water also keeps bending the light around, slowly sapping energy until the light completely dies out.

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