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Is an effect like this similar to the difference between the water level of the Atlantic and Pacific? It never made intuitive sense to me that the Panama Canal
by Infernal 6y ago
Is an effect like this similar to the difference between the water level of the Atlantic and Pacific? It never made intuitive sense to me that the Panama Canal for example had to deal with a significant water level difference between the two sides, as the two bodies of water are contiguous at other points on the Earth’s surface.
- rovolo 6y agoThe Panama Canal has locks mainly to raise (by 26m) the water-level over the land. It's less work to flood the area than to dig a giant channel between the oceans. https://armyengineer.com/history/panama/engineers/How_Canal_Works/Images/profile%20and%20yardage%20estimates_Cropped.gif https://armyengineer.com/history/panama/engineers/How_Canal_... The average sea level difference on each side is minor in comparison (20cm). Plus, the average sea level isn't constant through the whole ocean. It's variable depending on location due to different salt concentrations (salty water is less dense). https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/globalsl.html https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/globalsl.html
- njarboe 6y agoSalty water is more dense.
- rovolo 6y agoWhoops, of course. It's easier to float in the ocean than in a lake.
- Infernal 6y agoOh man, thanks for this! I did not realize that it was essentially to hoist the boats over uneven terrain, always assumed the canal was a straight dug channel. Never enough to go search out the answer, but it always tickled the back of my mind when it came up. Thank you!