Sea Water

[yodamed]

Why does sea water foam?

[Moonhead]

Because its full of nasty, yuccky chemicals and waste...?

[Ashley]

To get to the other side? No- it's not just because of the waste - that's why you get pools of foam on the top of still water. If you mean why does it foam when water breaks etc- then it's because the water mixes with the air when it folds over- a bit like when you fire a hosepipe into a pond or someting- you'll see lots of airbubbles travelling back up to the surface.

[New Forester]

Even clean sea or river water will foam when splashed about by current or waves. This is because it has various natural chemicals in it -- probably alginates from floating single-celled plants. Alginates are sugar-based compounds similar to starch, some of which are used (from larger seaweed) as stiffening agents in foods such as ice cream. Richard