Pulling the Plug

[misterhelpful]

I've just watched an episode of Nature's Weirdest where a sink-hole opened up in the bottom of a 6m² Florida lake and completely drained it into the cavities below. This got me thinking as to what is to stop the same thing happening to our oceans at some point?
Most of us know that around 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water but the actual mass of the planet is only made up of around 0.02% water.
Nobody knows what is happening at the deepest points of our oceans so, in theory, couldn't an enormous sink-hole or two suddenly open up and drain our lifeline away?
We regularly hear about extinction event meteorite possibilities but should we really be looking down rather than up?

Just thought I'd try and cheer everyone up!

 

[Dan Robinson]

I would suspect the mantle would have something to say about it.

 

[JBR]

No worries. With all this 'global warming' we are suffering, all the polar ice will melt and make up the difference!

 

[misterhelpful]

I considered the mantle but the seemingly minute 0.02% mass of water made me wonder if that would really make a difference if there was a giant chasm under us somewhere. Apparently, if the Earth was flat, all the water (including the ice caps) would be something like 17km deep on the surface. If the crust is approx. 30km thick then couldn't there be somewhere that may absorb a vast amount, if not all, of our water?
I suppose that the variation in our landscape makes the crust thinner beneath the oceans, and at it's thickest in mountainous regions, so I guess, on average thickness we are safe enough...unless someone knows better?

 

[joe-90]

He's saying the Earth isn't flat. Hahahah what a fruit loop.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

A sink hole could open up under the Houses of Parliament while in session, what a disaster that would be. One can but hope.

 

[securespark]

According to the reports in the next demi-century we will have another "Little Ice Age".

But pulling the plug on the oceans would at least help in the search for MH370.

 

[JBR]

According to the reports in the next demi-century we will have another "Little Ice Age".

Not to worry. The global warming will take care of that!

 

[misterhelpful]

He's saying the Earth isn't flat. Hahahah what a fruit loop.

Where I am right now, you could be onto something!

 

[misterhelpful]

BTW, 6m² was meant to represent miles, not metres, in case anyone gets confused. I wasn't concerned by a giant puddle drying up because the tears joe-90 makes my cry everyday would soon fill that up!

 

[mattylad]

IF...
I giant sinkhole opened up and sucked the water from the seas down then it would be converted into steam, come back up and turn the world into a giant sauna, we would all get steamed like packets of rice...
Why - because down there are the fire of hell, those fire that cannot be put out & burn hard & bright.

And we could harness the steam as power to drive turbines and provide power to the world.

So giant sinkholes could be good for us

 

[JBR]

BTW, 6m² was meant to represent miles, not metres, in case anyone gets confused. I wasn't concerned by a giant puddle drying up because the tears joe-90 makes my cry everyday would soon fill that up!

That's nobody's fault but your own. I keep telling people not to bother reading his blatherings!

 

[misterhelpful]

I know, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Deep down, everyone loves him, really!

 

[JBR]

I know, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Deep down, everyone loves him, really!

I suppose he has a 'naughty boy' attraction, or perhaps a clown!

 

[jeds]

I've just watched an episode of Nature's Weirdest where a sink-hole opened up in the bottom of a 6m² Florida lake and completely drained it into the cavities below. This got me thinking as to what is to stop the same thing happening to our oceans at some point?
Most of us know that around 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water but the actual mass of the planet is only made up of around 0.02% water.
Nobody knows what is happening at the deepest points of our oceans so, in theory, couldn't an enormous sink-hole or two suddenly open up and drain our lifeline away?
We regularly hear about extinction event meteorite possibilities but should we really be looking down rather than up?

Just thought I'd try and cheer everyone up!

I think the mantle does actually flood with water. I read something somewhere once that reckoned about three times as much water exists in the upper/lower mantle as exists in the Worlds oceans. But there is tremendous pressure beneath the mantle so when there is a connection instead of water sinking down you get volcanic vents spewing gas upwards. They are really interesting places which despite the extreme heat are infested with creatures and bacteria.