Gory thoughts of victims in the Titanic as it fell to the ocean floor

[Elite Engineer]

So, as the Titanic sunk, and began it's 15 minute plunge to the ocean floor of the Atlantic, do you suppose the bodies that were trapped in the ship actually exploded due to the extreme pressure? Consider where the Titanic now rests, the pressure is about 6,500 atmospheres. As it sank and the pressure gradually increased, is it possible the bodies ruptured?

 

~EE

[swansont]

The would have imploded rather than exploded, but the body is mostly water, and water is nearly incompressible. The volume change from pressure is about 4.5 x 10^-10 per N/m^2 or 4.5x10^-5 per atm

 

Where did you get 6500 atm? The change is ~1 atm per 10m, and the Titanic is at 3800m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_of_the_RMS_Titanic

 

At that depth the volume change of water would be less than 2%. There would have been an effect of dissolved gases coming out of solution as well.

[Strange]

At that depth the volume change of water would be less than 2%. There would have been an effect of dissolved gases coming out of solution as well.

 

Isn't that the wrong way round? Solubility increases with pressure so any gases (in cavities, the lungs, etc) would dissolve in the fluid (presumably leading to some very small collapse of the body structure).

[swansont]

 

Isn't that the wrong way round? Solubility increases with pressure so any gases (in cavities, the lungs, etc) would dissolve in the fluid (presumably leading to some very small collapse of the body structure).

 

 

 

D'oh. Yes, you are correct.

[Elite Engineer]

 

 

Where did you get 6500 atm? The change is ~1 atm per 10m, and the Titanic is at 3800m

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_of_the_RMS_Titanic

 

 

I checked a random site without checking reputable sources

 

Isn't that the wrong way round? Solubility increases with pressure so any gases (in cavities, the lungs, etc) would dissolve in the fluid (presumably leading to some very small collapse of the body structure).

So, only hollow body structures like you say, lungs and cavities would have collapsed? Meanwhile more solid body structure like bones would be intact?

[robinpike]

Only sealed containers with a gas in them would have imploded - people trapped in air pockets inside the titanic would have been able to carry on breathing.

[swansont]

Only sealed containers with a gas in them would have imploded - people trapped in air pockets inside the titanic would have been able to carry on breathing.

 

 

As those air pockets all but disappeared, seeing as they would reduce in volume by a factor of ~380.

[John Cuthber]

 

 

As those air pockets all but disappeared, seeing as they would reduce in volume by a factor of ~380.

Squashed 380 fold, and then dissolved...

 

It's just possible that, if you managed to lock yourself in the "safe" (I'm assuming they had one) and it was strong enough, and airtight enough then you might have been able to keep breathing for a reasonable fraction of the way down- even, in principle, all the way to the bottom.

Then you would be the person who was deepest when they died; still dead.

The only "practical" advantage would be that you might hope to scare hell out of any salvagers looking for valuables.

[rangerx]

If you equalize your sinuses and continue breathing normally, prolonged exposure to increased partial pressure doesn't much matter until you ascend.

 

Saturation divers can remain at depth for days, even weeks,

Actually, the O2 content (10%) in compressed air becomes toxic at 10 atmospheres or 330 feet. 100% O2 is toxic at one atmosphere or 33 ft, even though many divers can tolerate deeper.

[Elite Engineer]

Squashed 380 fold, and then dissolved...

Wow, I couldn't have thought of a more straight answer. I guess we really don't think about this stuff, especially with Dicaprio and Winslet. Are we talking just hollow cavities or entire bodies...I can't imagine the goriness of the well dressed 20th century chaps just being obliterated...

Edited March 9, 2016 by Elite Engineer