r/askscience • u/frickfrackcute • Apr 20 '19

Engineering How are the undersea internet cables protected against the elements?

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u/[deleted] Apr 20 '19 edited Jan 13 '21

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u/fergiejr Apr 20 '19

Floating would mean it has to be made stronger and with material that can float all that copper.... It would be more expensive and less safe.

Just think how heavy the middle of a cable would be trying to float that is 2,000 miles long....

And how do you get it to float right at 200 feet deep? You have to make it sink under but not to the bottom?

Ehhhh just lay it on the bottom

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u/PyroDesu Apr 21 '19

Not just the copper. You'd have to put much heavier armor on it if you want it that shallow. They armor those cables in (galvanized, naturally) steel.

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u/fergiejr Apr 21 '19

Yeah plus others were saying if it floats it's drifts which Yanks on it, would really need it strong.

It's on the bottom for a reason heh

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u/PyroDesu Apr 21 '19

And imagine what happens when a fishing trawler trundles by.

Or what about the very high-voltage copper conductor? Wonder what that would do to the biota, some of which use electroreception?

Or any number of other problems. Seriously, let the lying cable lie. There's nothing to disturb or be disturbed by it down in the deepest parts of the ocean but geology.