1001 Space Earth Nature History Human World Science and Technology Chemistry Materials Force and Energy Heat and Light Electricity and Magnetism Industry Machines Electronics and Computers Cars and Trucks Railways Ships Aircraft Fishing and Agriculture Undersea Exploration

Choose a Page:What creatures live at the bottom ...Who invented the submarine?How deep is the ocean?*What is a submersible?*How deep have humans dived?Who owns treasure found on the sea...How are submersibles controlled?Are there any useful minerals on t...What does SCUBA stand for?How is the depth of the sea measured?What are the bends?How did early diving suits work?How does a modern diving suit work? What is a submersible? A submersible is a small submarine. A large, manned submersible is usually called a bathyscaph. In the type shown here, the two crew members sit in a thick metal sphere beneath the craft. The sphere's air is at normal atmospheric pressure. To make the craft float, a tank in the upper part is partly filled with petrol, which is less dense than seawater. To make the vessel sink, water is let into the tank. Metal weights are released to make the bathyscaph rise again. Submersibles regularly go down to depths of 6,000 metres to explore the ocean bed.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: Science and Technology Chapter: Undersea Exploration