When a submarine implodes, it undergoes a sudden and catastrophic collapse inward, driven by the immense external pressure of the deep ocean. The surrounding water overwhelms the vessel’s structure, causing it to violently compress.
The Extreme Forces of Deep-Sea Pressure
The deep ocean presents an environment of extraordinary pressure, which intensifies significantly with increasing depth. This force, known as hydrostatic pressure, results from the sheer weight of the water column pushing down on any submerged object. For every 10 meters (approximately 33 feet) a vessel descends, the pressure increases by about one atmosphere, or roughly 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi).
At depths where submarines operate, such as the 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) where the Titanic wreck lies, the pressure can reach astonishing levels, around 380 atmospheres or 5,600 psi. To visualize this, imagine the equivalent of a large elephant standing on every square inch of a surface. Submarines are specifically engineered with robust hulls to withstand these crushing forces, but if the external pressure exceeds the hull’s structural integrity, an implosion becomes inevitable.
The vessel is compressed “like an empty soda can”. This violent compression releases a massive amount of energy as the submarine’s hull rapidly collapses inward.
The Instantaneous Impact on the Human Body
During a submarine implosion, the impact on the human body is immediate and overwhelmingly destructive. The event unfolds with extreme rapidity, typically occurring within milliseconds. Some analyses suggest the entire collapse process can take as little as 1 millisecond, or one-thousandth of a second.
This speed is far quicker than the human brain can process stimuli; individuals inside would not experience pain or even realize what was happening. The death is instantaneous.
The human body, being largely composed of water, is mostly incompressible. However, air-filled spaces within the body, such as the lungs and sinuses, would instantly collapse and be crushed by the immense pressure differential. The sudden compression of air inside the vessel would also rapidly heat to extreme temperatures, though the primary cause of death is the mechanical force. Tissues, organs, and skeletal structures would be subjected to extreme compression and disintegration due to the massive pressure, resulting in complete and immediate destruction.
Understanding the Aftermath and Recovery Challenges
After a deep-sea implosion, the extreme forces involved leave behind highly fragmented and dispersed remains. This makes identification and recovery exceptionally challenging, if not impossible.
The deep ocean itself poses formidable obstacles to recovery efforts. Its vastness, extreme darkness, and continued high pressures make locating debris and any remains a monumental task.
Even if fragments are found, the ocean’s environment can further disperse and alter them, complicating forensic analysis. While “presumed human remains” have been recovered, they typically consist of small, unidentifiable pieces or organic matter mixed with debris.