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From: wen-king@cit-vlsi.Caltech.Edu (Wen-King Su)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.misc,sci.research
Subject: Re: The Loch Ness Monster
Keywords: Nessie Loch Ness passages
Message-ID: <7497@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 3 Aug 88 07:03:01 GMT
References: <861@altger.UUCP> <31293@cca.CCA.COM> <2160@alliant.Alliant.COM> <34997@aero.ARPA> <7481@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <1507@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu>
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Organization: California Institute of Technology
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In article <1507@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu> jwm@aplvax.UUCP (Jim Meritt) writes:
<
>Sea water is "heavier" (denser) than fresh water.
<
<at 4 degrees C & 32ppt (not uncommon salinity) it is around 1.025 or so.
>Even at 37 ppt (high) you don't get much above 1.03.
<
>Not that big a density difference.
<
>And IF you had a drain, the water would go down it until the hydrostatic
<pressures matched.  Not 52 feet.

Thanks for the number.  If sea wather is 1.025 times heavier than fresh
water, then Loch Ness can be in equilibrium at 52 feet above sea level
if the hole is 2028 feet below sea level.   I admit that a hole that
far down is unlikely, but it is not physically impossible for it to
exist.  After all, the valleys in the sea are much much deeper than the
tallest mountain on the land, and the tallest mountain on the land is
much much taller than 2028 feet.  I am not too good with numbers, but I
know that 2028 is not extreme because whenever I travel north on I-5, I
come across a little hump with a sign that says "elevation 5000 feet". :-)

/*------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
| Wen-King Su  wen-king@vlsi.caltech.edu  Caltech Corp of Cosmic Engineers |
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