That pressure you feel around your ears as you launch further into the water is called hydrostatic pressure. This pressure increases by one atmosphere for every 10 meters you go below the surface of the ocean.
Therefore, the pressure at the bottom of the ocean will be over a thousand times the pressure at the surface. If you are a diver, it will help to know the hydrostatic pressure at different depths of the ocean before you get into your diving suit.
In this article, I’ll be discussing the pressure at different depths of the ocean and how much hydrostatic pressure is too much.
How much pressure is at the bottom of the ocean?
The pressure at the bottom of the ocean is 15,750 psi (pounds per square inch).
This value is equivalent to 1,086 bars or 1,072 atm. The pressure is measured at 35,876 feet (10,935 meters), the deepest point of the ocean called the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
How much pressure is at 100 feet underwater?
The underwater pressure at 100 feet is 43.2 psi (2.9 atm).
How much pressure is at 10 meters underwater?
At 10 meters underwater (66 feet), divers will feel a pressure of 25.63 psi (1.75 atm).
Furthermore, this descent is accompanied by compressed lungs from the pressure in the external environment.
How much psi is too much for a human being?
The highest pressure a human can withstand is 50 psi for sudden impact and 400 psi for sustained pressure.
Divers who go below and experience more pressure wear divers suits that have been adapted for survival below the surface of the water. The force of underwater pressure is so much that 1,000 psi can tear human skin.
Furthermore, how well a diver does underwater varies. A free diver will experience a pressure of about 10 psi at 20 feet underwater. Experienced divers can withstand the pressure at 40 feet underwater. Also, some people with greater tolerance can dive up to 60 feet.
How much underwater pressure is too much for a fish?
The underwater pressure threshold differs for different fishes.
Different types of fish have different adaptive features that help them withstand water pressure. Most of them are made of water which helps to create a balance between them and the surrounding pressure.
Moreover, unlike fishes that live close to the surface of the sea and humans, fishes that live in the deep sea do not have air spaces that this underwater pressure can crush.
FAQs
What can withstand 16,000 psi underwater?
Humans cannot withstand 16,000 psi underwater except they are protected in ATI titanium pressure vessels.
How strong is 40,000 psi?
Power pressure washers that can pump up to 40,000 psi can cause damage to humans and non-living things. This pressure is enough to puncture steel vessels.
What is the lowest sea level pressure?
The lowest sea-level pressure is at the centers of tropical cyclones and tornadoes. It is recorded at 870 hPa (12.6 psi; 26 inHg).
What is the lowest atmospheric pressure?
The lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded was on October 12, 1979. A pressure of 870 hPa (0.858 atm; 25.69 inHg) was felt during Typhoon Tip in the western Pacific Ocean.
Conclusion
At the deepest part of the ocean, which is about 35,876 feet (10,935 meters), the hydrostatic pressure is 15,750 psi (1,086 bars or 1,072 atm).
It is advised that humans do not subject themselves to more than 1,000 atm. Currently, the records have only one human being (Herbert Nitsch (2007)) who dived down to 702 feet (213.9m) in a single breath.
History also has it that three divers have been to the Challenger Deep in 1960 but there has never been a revisit.
Thanks for reading.
Want to read fun and insightful science articles? Head to Gezro.