Water absorbs almost all of the infrared energy from sunlight within 10 centimeters of the surface. The direct angle of the sun’s rays to the surface of the water at the equator means that more energy penetrates the surface of the water at the equator than at the poles. Near the poles, the sun’s rays strike the ocean at an angle, rather than directly. Near the equator, the sun’s rays strike the ocean almost perpendicular to the ocean’s surface.
The amount of energy that penetrates the surface of the water depends on the angle at which the sunlight strikes the ocean. When sunlight strikes the ocean, some of it reflects off the surface back into the atmosphere. Photons associated with different frequencies of light have different energies, and are utilized in different ways by ocean organisms. For convenience, scientists describe the amount of energy in a particular form of radiation in terms of its wavelength. Because it is both a wave and a particle, describing the behavior of a photon is very complex. A photon behaves like a wave and also like a particle. Waves with higher frequency (and thus, shorter wavelengths) generally have higher energy.įor a review of wavelength and wave frequency, see Wave and Wave Properties.Įlectromagnetic radiation occurs in packets of energy called photons. Wavelength, the distance between wave peaks, is a wave property linked with wave frequency. at the opposite end of the visible light spectrum, the color violet has the shortest wavelength- about 400 nm. The color red has the longest wavelength within the visible light spectrum-approximately 650 nanometers (nm). Each color is produced by a different wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. The visible light spectrum is composed of all of the colors of the rainbow. The visible light spectrum is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (Fig. Image courtesy of LucasVB, Wikimedia Commons Each light wavelength represents a different color in the visible light spectrum (Fig. White light shining through a prism reveals the different colors produced by different light wavelengths. However, white light is composed of several different wavelengths of light. Light from the sun or a light bulb appears white in color. Visible light, or light that can be seen by human eyes, accounts for only a small portion of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum describes the wide range of electromagnetic radiation forms (Fig. Microwaves from a microwave oven can be used to reheat food from the inside out. Although our eyes cannot see infrared radiation, we feel the warmth from the heat it produces by jiggling whole molecules. Lower energy waves are generally not harmful to the human body. Infrared (IR), microwave, and radio electromagnetic waves are low energy, with low frequencies and long wave lengths (Fig. Image courtesy of Philip Ronan, Wikimedia Commons Large doses of these forms of electromagnetic radiation are very dangerous to living organisms. X-rays and gamma rays can pass through our bodies to make photos of bones and other internal organs.
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Sunburnt skin is a painful example of the high-energy power of UV radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can destroy DNA and damage living organisms. These types of waves can be harmful to the human body if absorbed, and can generally penetrate more deeply because of their high energy. Gamma (γ) rays, X-rays, and UV rays are types of electromagnetic waves that are high energy, with high frequencies and short wave lengths. Of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, the human eye can view only a small portion of electromagnetic waves in the form of light. Electromagnetic radiation is made up of electromagnetic waves that are defined by their wavelength and frequency. About 50 percent is infrared energy, nine percent is ultraviolet (UV) energy, and one percent is X-rays or microwaves. The rest of the energy Earth receives from the sun is not visible. Visible sunlight makes up about 40 percent of the total energy Earth receives from the sun. Light Energy and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
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