How are some small bodies of water so crystal clear they look transparent? Isn’t debris and random pollution constantly falling into them from the surrounding environment? What keeps them so clean-looking?

Question

How are some small bodies of water so crystal clear they look transparent? Isn’t debris and random pollution constantly falling into them from the surrounding environment? What keeps them so clean-looking?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

What I haven’t read but is a reason as well are oxygen levels in the water. The elevation at which a body of water is (and, thus, surrounding air pressure) has an impact on the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Plants and bacteria need a certain percentage of oxygen to flourish so lakes in mountains tend to be pretty clear because the oxygen levels are not ideal for growth.