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

Even close to the water irrelevant is the place to say. Then why do they call it profit? Or a much more important question came to mind; snow or not, what exactly are all those small particles, where do they go and what is the matter 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 resembles snow, not its connection to water, has earned it this name. This situation, which continues unabated, to 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.

• Water cycle

Evaporation of water, heavy in the clouds, falling to the ground, etc. in high school we have solved stuff.

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 every grain you see here are the remains of dead creatures.

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

of every grain same size You may have noticed that this is not the case. The reason for this is that these tailings 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 cases. randomness Let’s say dominate.

This gives a ‘blizzard’ appearance to the remnants sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

NOAA Ocean Services

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

Where do these remains go?

NOAA

In movies about Christmas from Santa Claus Sometimes you can see him dropping 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 lucky people trying to steal gifts below.

On the surface, marine animals do not have much trouble in terms of food. Here in the sun plankton produces a lot of oxygen and fish have no problem finding food because they are numerous.

But deep down, this is not the case.

Here too much food source also not available sunlight Since there is no photosynthesis, this is not possible. Aside from the deep food chain, marine snow is a rich feast for the creatures that live here.

The fall of even residues that are usually overgrown weeks but it is a continuous process.

Of course, the creatures in the deep are not clearing all this snow.

Magnus Kjaergaard

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

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 marine snow creates a huge carbon sink under the ocean. You know those muddy structures and weather this of the ruins We’re talking about cliffs.

of carbon the unique benefits it brings to our planet is the subject of another content. What we understand here is that it keeps life alive in the ocean without us even knowing it. your sea ladybeing the kind of snow you try not to stick your tongue out at.

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