Chris Valier, age 11, of St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada, for his question

Why is the Red Sea red?

Our Great Lakes total more than half the area of the Red Sea, so compared with the world's major seas, it is not a giant. However, it has a dramatic history that dates back through thousands of years. What's more, in the near future the famous old, reddish tinged water way will start on a new and very busy career.

The Red Sea is a long narrow arm of salt water leading from the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Several things happen to add a reddish tinge to its waters. Sometimes there is a population explosion among its native red algae. Sometimes the hot desert winds cover its surface with patches of reddish sand. Sometimes it has an abundance of reddish seaweeds and often the shiny surface mirrors the reds from the coral reefs and surrounding hills.

There seem to be plenty of reasons why there is a reddish tinge to the waters of the Red Sea, and also why at times it is redder than others. Apparently this always was so, for it was called the Red Sea in Bible days. Then, we are told, this arm of reddish water rolled back to let the Israelites escape from the pursuing armies of Egypt.

The famous old sea lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, near the regions where the first human civilizations got their start. But its northern shore is cut off from the Mediterranean by a narrow strip of land. This bothered the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, who wanted a waterway to sail ships from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

In ancient days, the builders of the durable pyramids made several attempts to cut a canal across this narrow strip of land. And several times they succeeded in linking their inland sea with the global ocean. But in time their canals were neglected and desert winds filled them with sand.

In modern times, the famous Suez Canal was dug to link the Red Sea with the Mediterranean. For almost a century, ships had this shorter route to the Orient. No longer did they have to sail thousands of extra miles around the southern tip of Africa.

Then the Middle East became involved in conflicts and disputes. The priceless canal was neglected and became useless.  However, some people have faith that this hot tempered region can be calmed down    enough faith to make plans to reopen the neglected canal. More plans include some amazing improvements. Free trading ports may be established along the shores. The channels will be deeper to let through larger ships. If all goes well, the Red Sea may once again become one of the world's busiest waterways.

Geologists tell us that this arm of red sea water fills a long deep crack in the earth's crust. Most likely it formed ages ago as the sea floors spread and the continents drifted apart. It cuts through a bare, hot desert region where the scorching sun evaporates moisture, causing the water to become saltier and saltier. Its dreary shores are lined with coral reefs, low sandy hills and high rocky ranges.