Did you know that it snows under the sea?

Let’s tell you before you ask; snow Of course, it consists of water, and naturally we see snow in the water, SpongeBob’s it would be on the same level of logic as the barbecue scene. But the snow you will see here is quite different from what you are used to.

Even close to the water irrelevant is the place to say. Well then why do they call it profit? Or a much more important question came to mind; snow or not, what exactly are all these tiny particles, where are they going, and what’s the deal with them, so to speak?

Let’s get the easy question out of the way:

This is the situation you see, sea ​​snow It is known as (marine snow). The fact that it looks like snow, not its connection with water, earned it this name. This situation, which continues uninterrupted, rain We can say that it is a natural phenomenon, but there is a very sharp difference between the two.

Rain has a certain cycle.

Evaporation of water, heavy in the clouds, falling to the ground, etc. in middle school we solved things.

in the snow of the sea There is such a cycle, but this cycle consists of death and life. That’s the difference between them.

Inside each grain you see here are the remains of dead creatures.

Among them on the surface dead animalswhich dissolves and disintegrates even more as plankton, plants, and other living things sink to the bottom. scraps there is. This often includes sand and animal droppings.

of each grain same size You may have noticed that it is not. The reason for this is that these residues can sometimes collide with each other and grow like a snowball as they make their way to the bottom of the sea. Of course, this does not happen in all. randomness Let’s say dominate.

This provides a ‘snowstorm’ look to the remnants sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

So far, so good. When a creature living in the sea dies, its remains naturally already exist. to the bottom of the sea will sink. Still, a question mark remains in the air.

Where do these remains go?

NOAA

In movies that deal with Christmas Santa’s Sometimes you see him drop gifts from the sky. The situation of the creatures living at the bottom of the sea is the same in this scenario, as is the situation of happy people trying to snatch gifts below.

On the surface, sea creatures do not have much trouble in terms of food. Here in the sunshine plankton produces plenty of oxygen, and fish have no problem finding food because they are numerous.

But deep down this is not the case.

Here too many food source not available as well sunlight Since there is no photosynthesis, it is not possible. Apart from the deep food chain, sea snow is a rich feast for the creatures living here.

The fall of even residues that are usually overgrown weeks but it is an ongoing process.

Of course, the creatures in the deep don’t clean all of this snow.

Magnus Kjaergaard

Therefore, the unconsumed residues accumulate, leaving the ocean floor almost as a piece of land. like a blanket it covers. Here, too, the residues, which are further broken down over time by certain natural activities, remain in a muddy structure at some point.

It should be noted that these residues contain a very high amount of carbon. Carbon formed on the water surface under normal conditions rises into the air. But the carbon mixed with the sea snow creates a huge carbon store under the ocean. You know those muddy structures and again this from the ruins We’re talking about cliffs.

of carbon the unique benefits it offers for our planet is the subject of another content. What we understand here is that it keeps ocean life alive without our knowledge. your sea wifebeing the kind of snow that you don’t try to stick your tongue out at.

resources: National Ocean Service, SciShow, OceanX, Naked Science, ScienceABC