Why can't humans survive deep in the ocean?

[Tom Wesly 1]

I heard that there is a limit to how far deep we can go down in the ocean. They say if you go down any deeper, air bubbles or something will form inside your body, causing you to die out. Something like that. Could you explain that to me? Why can't we really go to the most deepest surface of the ocean? Assuming it's near earth's core. But why can't humans surive that deep? If we can't physically swim down there then we can use submarine to get there, can't we? How is it going to affect us if we are in a submarine with oxygen provided? Not just any submarine but a specially made to go that deep and survive in those conditions. We have the tecnology. If we can go to the moon then we surely can go to the most deepest surface of the ocean. By the way, how deep is the ocean's surface? Like hundereds and thousands of miles?

[GreyWeather 13]

The ocean can be upto 7 miles (11,000 metres) deep. Deep sea submarines can go around 10,900metres down~

Deep diving is limited to around 100 metres or so, any deeper (say, 200 metres) and the pressure would be too great and crush us, even going 100metres down there's a chance of your eardrums imploding from the changing pressure.

so yeah, you can't dive down to the bottom of the ocean as the presure would crush you.

[xxfizzyxx123 0]

it would be cool to see what it would be like that deep though... not that we'd be able to see cos it would probably be pitch black lol

[Legatus Legionis 2]

to be honest deep sea is a harsher environment than the space.

human can only go down up to 900ft ~ 100ft with proper equipment. farther than that the pressure would eventually crush our lungs killing us instantly.

[drakonwick 737]

Simply put humans cannot withstand the pressure in the deep ocean! Our bodies are not designed for these levels of pressure,

it would flatten us like a pancake.

[WolfBane 8]

not to mention that we would kick that nasty oxygen habit of ours and drown.

even if you wore diving gear it would probably implode taking you with it.

[his ride2 1]

Forgive the dumb question (only 16) but if the submarine is pressurized like a spacecraft is then why cant we go down to the deepest depths.

[Legatus Legionis 2]

Forgive the dumb question (only 16) but if the submarine is pressurized like a spacecraft is then why cant we go down to the deepest depths.

The deep sea is an environment totally inhospitable to humankind, and it should come as no surprise that it represents one of the least explored areas on Earth. Pressures even in the mesopelagic become too great for traditional exploration methods, demanding alternative approaches for deep sea research.

linky

Edited August 12, 2007 by LiGhTyAgAmi

[Unpro 1]

Forgive the dumb question (only 16) but if the submarine is pressurized like a spacecraft is then why cant we go down to the deepest depths.

we did...

Deepest Manned Ocean Descent

The deepest ever manned ocean descent was on January 23, 1960, when Dr Jacques Piccard (Switzerland) and Lt. Donald Walsh, USN, piloted the US Navy bathyscaphe Trieste to a depth of 10,911 m (35,797 ft) in the Challenger Deep section of the Mariana Trench. Challenger Deep is thought to be the deepest point on earth and is situated 400 km (250 miles) south-west of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

Even that posses lots of problem.

[Andromedae 0]

you would have thousands of gallons of water piled on top of you which would crush you to pulp

the condition you are talking about is know as the bends http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompression_sickness

[Ghost Ship 53]

What are the deepest parts of the ocean?

The average depth of the oceans is about five times the average elevation of the land. In general, the continents stand about three miles above the ocean floor. According to the National Geographic Atlas, the deepest-known part of the ocean measures 10,924 meters (35,839 feet), in the Marianas Trench near Guam. If the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (29,141 feet), were to be placed into this trench, it would be covered by over 1.25 miles of water.

[Isis2200 18]

I heard that there is a limit to how far deep we can go down in the ocean. They say if you go down any deeper, air bubbles or something will form inside your body, causing you to die out. Something like that. Could you explain that to me? Why can't we really go to the most deepest surface of the ocean? Assuming it's near earth's core. But why can't humans surive that deep? If we can't physically swim down there then we can use submarine to get there, can't we? How is it going to affect us if we are in a submarine with oxygen provided? Not just any submarine but a specially made to go that deep and survive in those conditions. We have the tecnology. If we can go to the moon then we surely can go to the most deepest surface of the ocean. By the way, how deep is the ocean's surface? Like hundereds and thousands of miles?

Wow, I don't know enough about the subject to seriously comment, but would it have something to do with the water pressure? If we have tons of water on us, the pressure seems like it would be to great for us to survive the.........miles and miles of water above us.

Am I just a little bit close to the reason why we can't?

[Jack_of_Blades 172]

Forgive the dumb question (only 16) but if the submarine is pressurized like a spacecraft is then why cant we go down to the deepest depths.

It's hard to explain. The pressure a submarine goes though can be 100's of times greater

what a spacecraft goes though. A spacecraft is designed so that it can stand positive X's

the Earth's atmosphere, where as a submarine is built to stand negative X's the Earth's

Atmosphere. Basicly if you where to try and fly a spaceship to the depths that a sub

goes underwater, it would be crushed like a bug. Anyone feel free to correct me if

I am wrong (only a teen myself).

And yes Isis you are dead on correct.

Edited August 15, 2007 by Jack_of_Blades

[Raptor 21]

Forgive the dumb question (only 16) but if the submarine is pressurized like a spacecraft is then why cant we go down to the deepest depths.

Well at the deepest area of the ocean the water pressure is so great, it would be equivalent to having 18000 lbs placed on top of every square inch of your body. It would be difficult to even make a submarine that can withstand that pressure.

In space there is a vacuum, so there's no gas or anything outside your spacecraft, and no pressure acting on it from the outside. It doesn't have to be too strong to hold together (it just has to be able to stand the pressure of the gas inside, pushing out). The pressure we experience on the surface of the Earth is 1 atm (atmospheric unit), the pressure in space is 0 atm. The pressure at the bottom of the ocean is just a little over 1000 atm. So there's a much greater difference.

Forgive the dumb question (only 16)

Anyone feel free to correct me if

I am wrong (only a teen myself).

Am I just a little bit close to the reason why we can't?

You're both right, and age doesn't mean a thing.

[punish3ment 0]

There is the case of pressure, but you'd need a hell of alot of oxygen to get down to the bottom and back up.

[Rocket88 1]

Cant add to this post because i dont know enough about the subject.

Would just like to say, excellent question , & dont worry about ya age.

I"m 43 .

[Hi-TeK 0]

Anyone else think its weird how we are the most dominate species and Yet we cant go where SMALLER species can.. how can their bodies can handle the pressure and we cant? i want answers.

[Raptor 21]

Anyone else think its weird how we are the most dominate species and Yet we cant go where SMALLER species can.. how can their bodies can handle the pressure and we cant? i want answers.

It's not wierd at all. I don't know how to answer other than to say that those species have evolved to suit those extreme conditions, humans haven't. Likewise, barophiles (organisms which can survive in high pressure conditions) are unable to survive in low pressure environments, because they haven't evolved to do so. We're only a dominant species because of our ability to think and learn; that doesn't mean we're going to be better than every other species at every single thing.

If you want information on how they survive, look up the word "extremophile", it's a word used to describe all organisms able to survive in extreme conditions; or "barophile" for organisms which survive in high pressure.

[Primeval 3]

The pressure would crush you.

[Primeval 3]

I don't know how to answer other than to say that those species have evolved to suit those extreme conditions, humans haven't.

Ha, maybe humans will just evolve another arm to help them carry an extra bag too aid in shopping.

The extreme conditions of the common day mall is bound to help us evolve to become a stronger and smarter species!

[spikeman25 15]

Simply put humans cannot withstand the pressure in the deep ocean! Our bodies are not designed for these levels of pressure,

it would flatten us like a pancake.

That's true. But that doesn't mean that in the future reasearchers couldn't find a way of counteracting the affects of that amount of pressure. It might take some time but i think it could be done.

[Unpro 1]

That's true. But that doesn't mean that in the future reasearchers couldn't find a way of counteracting the affects of that amount of pressure. It might take some time but i think it could be done.

many years back one underwater movie was showing about some crude technology that dissovles oxygen in cfc. The idea was that if there are no air pockets in the body, you should be able to neutralize the pressure to go even deeper without requireing special suit.

so the movie's protagonist went deeper by several kilometer to retrieve an underwater nuke (sshheesshh!....americans!...)

[Listening 0]

~dusting off the creeky recesses of my brain~ And still unable to find that file. . . but I remember something about nitrogen displacing the oxygen in the cells, (bends) and something about permeability and anerobes and single celled creatures who can survive in the absence of o2. Also there is no proof that there is not light under the ocean, as there are species of phosporesent beings who survive there, and the possibility of underwater lava flow that gives off light, and I wish someone would come in here and put this wilted puzzle back together. lol It's been a hundred years since I studied marine biology.

[Bill Nye Kid 1]

Actually, Despite everything everyone else has said, you can survive on the bottom of the ocean you just won't be able to breathe. Your lungs will be compressed but will be fine. Also, humans can use a diving technique and equalize the pressure in their ears so that their eardrums will not burst. Your body will not collapse or be compressed because you are made of water and solids and despite the amount of pressure, liquids and solids cannot be compressed. So, in a hypothetical world where you do not need to breathe, you can survive on the bottom of the ocean. 

[Waspie_Dwarf 16,473]

15 minutes ago, Bill Nye Kid said:

Actually, Despite everything everyone else has said, you can survive on the bottom of the ocean you just won't be able to breathe. Your lungs will be compressed but will be fine. Also, humans can use a diving technique and equalize the pressure in their ears so that their eardrums will not burst. Your body will not collapse or be compressed because you are made of water and solids and despite the amount of pressure, liquids and solids cannot be compressed. So, in a hypothetical world where you do not need to breathe, you can survive on the bottom of the ocean. 

Bill Nye Kid,

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