The total mass of the hydrosphere is about 1.4 quintillion tonnes (1.

4�1018 long
tons or 1.5�1018 short tons), which is about 0.023% of Earth's total mass. Less
than 3% is freshwater; the rest is saltwater, almost all of which is in the ocean.
The area of the World Ocean is about 361.9 million square kilometers (139.7 million
square miles),[9] which covers about 70.9% of Earth's surface, and its volume is
approximately 1.335 billion cubic kilometers (320.3 million cubic miles).[9] This
can be thought of as a cube of water with an edge length of 1,101 kilometers (684
mi). Its average depth is about 3,688 meters (12,100 ft),[9] and its maximum depth
is 10,994 meters (6.831 mi) at the Mariana Trench.[29] Nearly half of the world's
marine waters are over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) deep.[16] The vast expanses of deep
ocean (anything below 200 meters or 660 feet) cover about 66% of Earth's surface.
[30] This does not include seas not connected to the World Ocean, such as the
Caspian Sea.

The bluish ocean color is a composite of several contributing agents. Prominent

contributors include dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll.[31] Mariners and
other seafarers have reported that the ocean often emits a visible glow which
extends for miles at night. In 2005, scientists announced that for the first time,
they had obtained photographic evidence of this glow.[32] It is most likely caused
by bioluminescence.[3