68 



THE OPAL SEA 



Tern pera- 

 ture as a 

 color factor. 



Colnr, local 



and 



reflected 



the warm tropics ; the lightest at the cold poles. 

 Temperature as well as saline density may have 

 something to do with producing this result. 

 It is a noteworthy fact that the bluest pools 

 in the Yellowstone Park are the ones with hot 

 water in them; and certainly in the ocean the 

 bluest waters are those that have a surface 

 temperature running as high as 80° F. or more. 

 Probably no one of these factors — temperature, 

 depth, or salinity — is sufficient in itself to ac- 

 count for sea color. It is more likely that a 

 combination of them all, with perhaps other 

 causes unknown to us, are necessary to the pro- 

 duction of the different results. 



So much for the actual color of the sea, 

 which varied as it may be, intensely beautiful 

 as it is in quality, more wonderful than pre- 

 cious jewels in transparency and light, is still 

 but a dull beauty compared with the exhaust- 

 less splendor of the surface reflection. The 

 Great Mirror which mingles with its own color- 

 ing every color in the gorgeous furnishing of 

 the sun and sky, tempering, blending, harmo- 

 nizing all tints into supreme glory, is not to 

 be equaled by any other beauty of the round 

 world. It has no limitations, no fixed reper- 

 tory, no " usual appearance." All things of 

 color and light belong to it, every flash from its 



