How do “Moon Pools” work? How can a ship have a big hole in it yet not sink?
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There is air above the moon pool which is contained by the ship. The water pushes up through the moon pool bottom into the air. This compresses the air a little which makes it push back harder. The air stops the water coming in.
This works because the air cannot escape down through the water or up (because the ship is in the way). If you put a hole in the top of the moon pool area, the air wouldn’t be compressed so the water would be able to push up until it reaches sea level, which would fill the moon pool with water.
Edit: there are different kind of moon pools, my explanation is for those that have pockets of air below sea level, eg: used for underwater work. Same principle as a diving bell. You can also have open topped moon pools which are literally just building a boat around a pool.
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