Why is the water so blue along the Carolina coast?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - You may have seen it with your own eyes or perhaps viewed pictures on social media posts from family and friends vacationing at the beach over the past week or so.

The talk is all about how blue the surf is now. Many are comparing the water along the Grand Strand north through the Crystal Coast with that typically seen at tropical resorts in the Caribbean.

Vibrant, blue water is highly unusual along the Carolina coast. Oftentimes our surf is brownish or even murky.

Several factors contribute to that look. First, the rivers that empty along our shoreline carry runoff from the mountains and Piedmont filled with red clay silt. That sediment, along with phytoplankton, get churned up and float near the top of the water.

Additionally, as we get deeper into the summer, we usually see more tropical cyclone development closer to our shores, keeping the waters stirred up.

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While there have been several named storms already this season, none have posed a threat lately to the Carolina coast, helping to keep the near-shore waters calmer.

So, with the lack of tropical storms and hurricanes, and even unseasonal light offshore winds, the sediment has been allowed to settle closer to the ocean floor, prompting the turquoise water that would be present more often if not for storms and wind.

The water looks especially blue during the middle part of the day when the sun is almost directly overhead, providing an even bluer tint than can be seen early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

- Chief Meteorologist Al Conklin

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