Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Aquatic Remote Sensing - A cup of dark black coffee next to a cup of tea

Image of a cup of dark black coffee next to a cup of tea
Altered Content -

This is an AI-generated image to illustrate apparent optical properties of color-dissolved organic matter.

Detailed Description

This teacup has a moderate amount of dissolved organic material, which absorbs blue light but reflects some red and orange light. The coffee cup has a high amount of dissolved organic matter and appears almost black because of how much light it is absorbing. Adding something like milk, which has a lot of particles, would increase the scattering and make the coffee or tea brighter.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

Was this page helpful?