If you take a look at this picture, you’ll probably think it’s an amazing picture of a frozen seashore, but have a closer look… you’ll notice that what appears to be ice, is actually foam. The inhabitants of Cape Town, South Africa were given a chance to witness an extremely rare phenomenon that turns the ocean into one big cup of cappuccino. This odd occurrence is also known as “sea foam” or even “beach foam” and it happens due to the crunching of the water with organic matter impurities, such as plankton, dead fish, dead plants and other such elements floating at the surface of the water.
The powerful currents cause the water to form tiny bubbles which have the tendency to “join forces” and cause this rare event. Scientist have declared that if the speed of the wind is more than six meters per second, then the energy transferred from the wind to the water is proportionally higher, and a force known as the supperficial tension of the water is not enough to hold the molecules on the surface together. The water breaks up into small drops which adhere together due to surface tension which causes them to appear as white foam. Have a look below at some really amazing pictures of the ocean foam phenomenon.
The powerful currents cause the water to form tiny bubbles which have the tendency to “join forces” and cause this rare event. Scientist have declared that if the speed of the wind is more than six meters per second, then the energy transferred from the wind to the water is proportionally higher, and a force known as the supperficial tension of the water is not enough to hold the molecules on the surface together. The water breaks up into small drops which adhere together due to surface tension which causes them to appear as white foam. Have a look below at some really amazing pictures of the ocean foam phenomenon.
