Terrifying Facts About The Ocean
The ocean, dazzling in its beauty, invites everyone to stare at its rolling waves and smell its pleasant breeze. However, it is jampacked with scary things that will make you have second thoughts about ever swimming again. If you are packing up for your perfect destination this summer, this article will kind of rain on your parade, but you will learn some cool science that you will enjoy bragging about with the fellas on your way. So, here are the most creepy ocean facts that you will wish you never knew.
The Black Holes
The ocean comprises a myriad of black holes, which are supermassive chasms ready to devour anyone. They are even bigger than cities, and nothing can escape them. Scientists are discovering new black holes every day, and according to them, the black holes of the ocean are no different from the black holes of space. Not scared yet? Well, scientists say that some holes are bigger than Los Angeles city! In his research in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, George Haller says that it is impossible – until the moment- for science to track these biggies. Owing to the development of satellite technology, scientists only managed to identify seven huge black holes, and the search for more is ongoing. However, there are some benefits attributed to these black holes, such as providing currents of fresh waters which preserve the maritime food chain.
The Rise of Sea Levels
The global level of the sea is currently rising to a petrifying level, and it’s all because of global warming. When the earth’s heat upsurges, it leads to the melting of glaciers and land ice, which raises the sea level. You might be asking why should the rising sea levels be scary and what will happen when the sea rises beyond its threshold? Well, nothing, except for some fatal floods, tsunamis, shoreline destruction, and devastating storms that can throw people away like a loose shoe! And for those who live in high-population-density coastal areas, the disasters will be more intense. The sea level is rising gradually at the moment; however, scientists say that if all glaciers and sheets of Arctic sea ice melt at the same time, this will speed up the horrifying process by a great deal.
Dead Bodies
We all know that the ocean is not just placid water because it is littered with garbage, but the real terror is the corpses it carries. The ocean is stuffed full of dead bodies of the victims of shipwrecks and plane accidents. So, diving in the ocean is akin to descending into a watery grave. In 2014, some divers at the coast of Mexico found the skeleton of a girl of about 12,000 years old.
Nightmarish Creatures with Superpowers
You might have heard of the white shark whose pubs devour each other inside their mother’s womb, but we would like to kick it up a notch by introducing the mysterious fish that turns invisible. Scientists discovered a huge, elongated fish of about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) called the Oarfish. This massive fish has some supernatural powers up its sleeve as it can lurk in all temperatures while being completely invisible. Yes, it is like it has this invisibility cloak of Harry Potter! The Oarfish is not the scariest creature in the ocean, for the ocean is shrouded in darkness. Light waves can only reach 330 feet of water, and since the ocean is more than 12,000 feet in depth, it is as dark as coal. So, we don’t really know what other creatures might be lurking there incognito. It’s needless to say that water is the most prevalent component of our planet, so we are literally inhabiting a pitch-black planet. Scientists even discovered that white sharks migrate to a specific area in the Pacific Ocean between Baja California and Hawaii. Ironically, scientists called this place ‘The White Shark Café’ because white sharks hang out there each year in winter to escape monotony and have some fun.
The Ocean might Plunge Europe into an Ice Age
According to a study published in Smithsonian magazine, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation – the circulation that counterbalances the chilly weather of Great Britain and Ireland by providing them with warmth – is fading. You can thank climate change for this particular horror, for since the beginning of the 20th century, the current has been weakening because of climate warming, induced by humans. The study indicates that if the current stops providing Europe with warmth, some areas might be too cold to be inhabited by people.
You Might Disappear Forever
In 2014, a massive aeroplane called the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared without any trace. This huge plane that was carrying 239 passengers just vanished into thin air and has never been found until this moment despite the huge efforts that were exerted to grope the Indian Ocean. So, whenever you feel that the ocean waves are calling you to take a dive, remember that you might be going to your eternal rest, and the deeper you go, the greater the pressure of the water becomes. For instance, if you decided to dive into a depth of 33 feet (10.06 meters), the pressure of the whole atmosphere will be pushing you downwards. Studies indicate that we have only discovered 5% of the ocean! Yup, humans know planet Mars better than they know the ocean.
The Fatal Storms It Creates
Even if you say, well, I will suffice by swimming in the pool and forget about the ocean, let’s not forget that the ocean might visit us at home. If you think that powerful winds are the only deadly force causing storms, you are mistaken. Storms are triggered by ocean waves, which are the greatest threat. During a hurricane, the wind pushes the waves of the ocean to the shores, raising sea level by more than 30 feet.
The Ocean can Melt your Body
No talk about the terrors of the ocean is done without hinting at the fact that water at the deepest bottom of the ocean is baking hot. According to National Ocean Service, the ocean contains some locations called the hypothermal vents, where the water of the ocean is combined with magma. These vents raise the temperature of the ocean bottom to 400º Celsius (750º Fahrenheit).
