eli5: when people explore the ocean, specifically the challenger deep explorers, how do they adjust the pressure change when they get back up? they seem normal after coming back from like pressure 8 tonnes per square inch.
In: Physics
The submarines used in deep ocean/ oceanic floor level are rigid enough to maintain 1 atmosphere inside the cabin (where people are), regardless of outside pressure. If you were among the crewmembers for a deep sea expedition you would feel no different from beeing, let’s say, on your boat.
The pressure becomes a problem for divers. Esentially people that have minimal protection from the water pressure. They do need to take surfacing in a slow manner, in order to avoid decompressure sickness. They stop for a few seconds/a few minutes at certain points of depth so their body and (if it’s the case) air tank can ajust pressure-wise.
The submarine is pressurized to close to surface pressure so there is no decompression issues. It becomes an issue of the divers leave the pressure environment and enter the water.
The few people who have visited the bottom of the Challenger deep did so in submarines. The submarine’s hull must be built very strong to withstand the immense pressure. Inside the submarine the pressure is the same as it is on the surface, so the submarines occupants are not affected by the high pressure (which would kill them).
The deepest that scuba divers have gone is around 300m – but diving at such depths is very dangerous and requires the use of specialized gas mixtures, as normal air becomes toxic at such pressures.
Because the capsules they are in aren’t pressurised to significant levels compared to normal air pressure, the inside of the capsules is at a significantly lower pressure than that of the water outside. The reason this can work is that the capsules are designed to withold the significant pressure differences. I think you’re thinking of deep sea divers that require pressurisation and decompression between dives, in capsule diving this isn’t the case because they do not significantly increase the pressure within the capsule
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