What type of athmosphere would a planet with red and pink trees have

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothetical characteristics of a planet with red and pink vegetation, exploring the implications for its atmosphere, sky color, and the appearance of water. Participants consider various factors influencing plant color and water appearance, including light absorption and atmospheric conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions what type of atmosphere would support red and pink plants and create yellow transparent water, given a purple sky and proximity to a blue sun.
  • Another participant suggests that while chlorophyll typically results in green plants, other energy acquisition methods exist, allowing for red and pink vegetation.
  • A link to an article is shared, proposing that the color of plants does not necessarily alter atmospheric composition, and that water's color is influenced more by absorption than atmospheric reflection.
  • One participant challenges the assertion that the sea's color is solely a reflection of the sky, noting that water absorbs red wavelengths and is inherently faintly blue.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the reliability of sources, while acknowledging that atmospheric color can influence the perception of water color.
  • There is a discussion about the relationship between light wavelengths from the star and the color of the plants, suggesting that plant color could evolve based on the light available.
  • One participant humorously speculates about the characteristics of hypothetical residents of the planet, adding a whimsical element to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between atmospheric conditions, plant color, and water appearance. There is no consensus on the specific characteristics of the atmosphere or the mechanisms behind the observed phenomena.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various sources and articles, but there are unresolved questions regarding the assumptions about light absorption and the influence of atmospheric color on water appearance.

tyquniaum
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If a planet had red and pink plants and vegitation what kind of athmosphere would it have.If it had a purple sky and it was 112 million miles from a blue sun what kind of athmosphere would create yellow transparent water instead of green or blue.
 
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Hi tyquniaum! :smile:

Plants using chlorophyll have to be green (I think).

But there are other ways of getting energy, even on Earth.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_algae" …
The red algae (or Rhodophyta, pronounced /roʊˈdɒfɨtə, ˌroʊdəˈfaɪtə/, from Greek: ῥόδον (rhodon) = rose + φυτόν (phyton) = plant, thus red plant) are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae,[2] and also one of the largest, with about 5,000–6,000 species [3] of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds.

So even an Earth-like planet can have red and pink plants and vegetation. :smile:

And I think the colour of the sea is mostly caused by the way water absorbs different colours (and by what's in the water), and so has almost nothing to do with the atmosphere.
 
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Arch2008 said:
The Earth's seas reflect the sky's blue color,
False on two counts.

1] Technically, water is very faintly blue. (However this is not a strongly contributing factor to the observed colour of our seas.)

2] Large volumes of water preferentially absorb red wavelengths of light. (This obvious once you realize that the red colours are absorbed more the deeper you go. If it were an atmo thing, it wouldn't be so.)


http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm
 
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Arch2008 said:
Or not:
http://www.answers.com/topic/why-is-the-sea-blue
"Eminent authority can be found to support almost any explanation."
:)

I am dubious about the veracity of answers of answers.com. Nonetheless, it actually corroborates my claim. Sea colour is not a reflection of atmo colour. I listed two other sources of the colour. I didn't mean to suggest they were the only ones.

I do grant that the colour of the atmo would surely influence the perception of the colour of the sea, true. (A red atmo over the (blue) sea would not look red or blue, it would look black.)
 
I found it ironic that in your link, the deep blue lake reflects the white mountains...and the sky.
 
Arch2008 said:
I found it ironic that in your link, the deep blue lake reflects the white mountains...and the sky.
So I guess then, in my orange bathroom, the colour of the water in my bathtub is orange?
And I guess the colour of the mirror in my bedroom is yellow, since that's the colour of the walls it reflects?

i.e.: Reflection is a whole different animal.
 
I assumed the question was meant the other way around.
chlorophyll absorbs green because it's the peak of the sun's output in the visible, if it had been on a planet where blue and green light is absorbed it would have evolved to absorb red/pink.
 
  • #10
mgb_phys said:
I assumed the question was meant the other way around.
chlorophyll absorbs green because it's the peak of the sun's output in the visible, if it had been on a planet where blue and green light is absorbed it would have evolved to absorb red/pink.

Actually, chlorophyll reflects green and absorbs red and violet; that's why leaves appear green. There are a lot of guesses as to why, like http://www.livescience.com/environment/070410_purple_earth.html, but I don't know what the current scientific consensus is.
 
  • #11
Wouldn't the color of the plants have to do with the wavelength of light from the star?
 
  • #13
tyquniaum said:
If a planet had red and pink plants and vegitation what kind of athmosphere would it have.If it had a purple sky and it was 112 million miles from a blue sun what kind of athmosphere would create yellow transparent water instead of green or blue.

I'm not sure what the atmosphere on the planet would be like, but I'm sure that the local residents would be unnecessarily hairy and their dialect would tend to be filled with entertainingly nonsensical rhyming words.

Oh yeah, and they like to eat green eggs and ham.
 

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