Submarines are multifunctional "vehicles". They are designed to allow them to balance on the surface of the water and dive into the water. However, like any ship on the water, submarines are not immune to force majeure, which is not controlled by human will and actions. In history, there have been cases of submarines being wrecked in storms. One can't help but ask whether submarines cannot dive in strong winds and waves, and if ocean turmoil is no joke, which depth is relatively safe for them.
The depth is heavy
Not all submarines are capable of staying underwater for a long time. For example, diesel-electric submarines periodically need to surface to recharge batteries. In the event of a storm, their crews will face difficulties.
The state of the sea is unforgiving to any vessel. Great waves easily cope with steamboats, cruisers, cruise ships, dinghyes and even submarines. What prevents the submarine crew from closing the hatch and diving into the water, it seems? After all, the deeper you go, the less wind and waves you feel. If you dive to a depth of 50-100 meters, then the furious ocean situation will hardly be noticed. For submarines, it is relatively easy to overcome such distances. But this is only theoretical. In practice, the crew of a submarine will face many details problems.
If we return to diesel-electric submarines, they work most of the time at periscope depth. The range of this depth varies depending on the type of submarine, parameters and the depth of the waters in which it is located. When there was a strong storm, the submarine commander had to make a choice, either to go with the flow or to dive to a safe depth.
Who determined the safe depth of the submarine in the storm
Each submarine has its own diving restrictions. It depends on many parameters. When ocean conditions deteriorate, the captain decides the depth of the dive according to some rules. These rules are not based on arbitrary depths, but on specific numbers that have been accurately calculated. To fully understand this, we need to go back two centuries – in the early 19th century.
Francis Botford, a renowned Irish oceanographer, cartographer and admiral, proposed the use of special empirical scales in 1805. This scale allows the height of the waves to be calculated based on the "storm" parameter of wind speed. However, the original Beaufort scale was not very convenient and easy to use in practice, and the measurement accuracy could be improved.
We should commend this scientist. He did not abandon his ideas, but worked tirelessly to improve his work. Finally, more than 20 years after its first presentation, the improved Beaufort scale gained global recognition and was adopted in most maritime countries. This happened in 1830.
What is a safe dive depth for a submarine in a storm
The Beaufort scale is divided into 17 levels. Each level represents the strength of the waves, or the absence of waves. Actual ocean conditions, including storm conditions, can be represented in terms of 1 to 12 "points." Levels 13 to 17 apply only to the Pacific. After all, the Pacific Ocean differs due to its special "storm characteristics" - frequent hurricanes and typhoons.
The measurement system proposed by Francis Botford can accurately calculate the size, speed and force of waves based on wind speed. Taking a wind speed of 90 to 100 km/h as an example, the average wave height is about 12 meters. According to the Botford scale, such a storm scores 10 points. Under such conditions, the speed of the water wave will reach 55 km / h, the average wavelength is 210 meters, and the period of the wave impact is 14 seconds.
It is also important to consider that in addition to moving on the surface of the water, any wave has the property of propagating deep into the body of water. This movement is called cyclic movement. It gradually weakens from the surface to the bottom. The depth at which the cyclic movement completely disappears is equal to 0.5 times the length of the "surface" wave. By summarizing all parameters, this value can be calculated. Therefore, in a Category 10 storm according to the Botford scale, cyclic fluctuations at a distance of about 105 meters above the water surface will not be perceived. In this way, it is relatively easy to calculate the depth at which the submarine needs to dive in a storm.
Researchers believe that there is also an "underwater barrier" in nature that leads to the destruction of modern submarines. At different depths, so-called underwater or internal waves occur, scientifically known as "bottom storms". Oceanographers are currently unable to explain how it arises. It is thought to form at the junction of water layers of different densities and temperatures. Interestingly, during deep-sea storms, waves can reach heights of tens of meters. How to predict the onset and location of a bottom storm is another mystery facing scientists.