Why is water in drawings portrayed as blue even though most rivers and lakes do not look blue?
Large bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans really are blue. Pure water with nothing else in it is transparent. But large bodies of water are not remotely pure.
The Short Answer
Large bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans really are blue. Pure water with nothing else in it is transparent. But large bodies of water are not remotely pure. (They may be clean and potable, but they're not "pure".) You know how a bottle of maple syrup looks dark brown, but a small drop of it looks very light brown, almost transparent? Large bodies of water are the same. Take a small cup of it and it looks transparent. But look at a large volume of it and you're seeing through millions of gallons of it, and the tiny tint to the water makes it overall appear a light, medium or even dark blue. The main reason water is blue is because some of the particles in water absorb red light, so what's left is blue. But some lakes are also colored by algae. Finally, while not a primary factor, reflecting the blue color of the sky is sometimes part of what contributes to water appearing blue.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Water, blue, large
This explanation focuses on water, blue, large and spans 168 words across 10 sentences. At 137% above the average Nature explanation (71 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Large bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans really are blue.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 10 connected points.
How This Compares in Nature
Ranked #8 of 500 Nature questions by answer depth (top 2%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why water in drawings portrayed as blue even though most rivers and lakes do not look blue?
Large bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans really are blue. Pure water with nothing else in it is transparent. But large bodies of water are not remotely pure. (They may be clean and potable, but they're not "pure".) You know how a bottle…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Nature questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 168 words, ranked #8 of 500 Nature questions by depth. The key concepts covered are water, blue, large.
What approach does this answer take to explain water in drawings portrayed as blue even though most rivers ?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 168 words. It is categorized under Nature and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.