4 ms·

Can someone explain why the corks popped on the surface but not in the water? What is the pressure at the bottom of lake keeping the corks in?

kadoban 2y ago
The pressure under significant amounts of water is _way_ higher than in air, raises with depth. The small amount of air in the bottles must have started close to 1 atmosphere of pressure (approx normal for just out in the air), but over time it equalized to at least some extent with its surroundings (either some water/gas infiltrated, or just the cork moved in a bit, or some other effect, nature dislikes imbalances). Then when the bottles were rapidly taken back to 1 atm of pressure, the pressure inside pushed out the corks (it had less to push against than its old equalibrium). Going more slowly almost certainly would have helped (allowed it to equalize slowly, potentially without failing), but I'm not sure if that would have meant hours or months. I'm also not sure how well the contents will have survived regardless.
- polishdude20 2y ago
  What if, over the years, the water pressure pushed the cork in further I creasing the pressure inside. Then once brought up, that pressure difference between the walls was too great
  - kadoban 2y ago
    Yeah, I think that's likely. I was trying to find info about this type of case on google, but without luck. I'm also thinking that the cork probably also degraded some over the years, just becoming weaker and needing less to dislodge/break it.
aaron695 2y ago
Good question. Beer, wine or champagne you'd assume it kept fermenting. Whisky rye is distilled and the alcohol is too high so not this. The temperature differences will cause the pressure in the bottle to have changed each season, maybe the air was absorbed into the liquid, like you carbonate beer. Then with water ingress and a weaken cork it popped, then it bubbled out at the surface.
manarth 2y ago
"went back later with some fellow divers, going down 15 metres" At 15 metres, the pressure is 2.5 × the surface pressure. Pressure at the surface is 1 bar, and fresh water pressure increases at 1 bar per 10 metres. 15 metres = 2.5 bar

kadoban 2y ago

The pressure under significant amounts of water is _way_ higher than in air, raises with depth. The small amount of air in the bottles must have started close to 1 atmosphere of pressure (approx normal for just out in the air), but over time it equalized to at least some extent with its surroundings (either some water/gas infiltrated, or just the cork moved in a bit, or some other effect, nature dislikes imbalances). Then when the bottles were rapidly taken back to 1 atm of pressure, the pressure inside pushed out the corks (it had less to push against than its old equalibrium). Going more slowly almost certainly would have helped (allowed it to equalize slowly, potentially without failing), but I'm not sure if that would have meant hours or months. I'm also not sure how well the contents will have survived regardless.

polishdude20 2y ago
What if, over the years, the water pressure pushed the cork in further I creasing the pressure inside. Then once brought up, that pressure difference between the walls was too great
- kadoban 2y ago
  Yeah, I think that's likely. I was trying to find info about this type of case on google, but without luck. I'm also thinking that the cork probably also degraded some over the years, just becoming weaker and needing less to dislodge/break it.

aaron695 2y ago

Good question. Beer, wine or champagne you'd assume it kept fermenting. Whisky rye is distilled and the alcohol is too high so not this. The temperature differences will cause the pressure in the bottle to have changed each season, maybe the air was absorbed into the liquid, like you carbonate beer. Then with water ingress and a weaken cork it popped, then it bubbled out at the surface.

manarth 2y ago

"went back later with some fellow divers, going down 15 metres" At 15 metres, the pressure is 2.5 × the surface pressure. Pressure at the surface is 1 bar, and fresh water pressure increases at 1 bar per 10 metres. 15 metres = 2.5 bar