Water science news, explainers, and statistics covering freshwater, hydrology, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice, and Earth’s connected water systems.
The short answer is no: Earth’s ocean contains no astrophysical black holes. A true black hole is a cosmic object with gravity so intense that light cannot escape from its event horizon. The sea has deep pits, powerful spinning currents and dark places that can look startling in photos or videos. Each has a physical…
More
Ocean water can look like an endless emergency water supply. It surrounds a boat, covers most of the planet and reaches the shore in waves. Yet a mouthful of seawater cannot meet a person’s drinking-water needs. Its dissolved salt turns the same liquid that seems useful into an added burden on the body. The result…
Measuring an ocean fish at full sprint is a difficult scientific task. A sailfish can race through open water, turn inside a schooling fish and vanish beneath the surface before a boat or camera has a useful view. The fastest moments may last seconds. A reliable direct speed record needs a known distance and time,…
Heat escapes from the sea most efficiently near the poles, where long winter darkness, ice and frigid air keep the water close to its freezing point. The answer most people expect is the Southern Ocean, the ring of water around Antarctica. It contains enormous reaches of water that stay exceptionally cold and the U.S. National…
