Boiling Points in the Deep

Is the boiling point of water the same at the surface of the ocean as it is at 5000 meters?

Click on the question marks to find out the boiling point at different depths.

Click HERE to find out why it is the same or different.

Notice how the deeper you go, the higher the boiling point rises. The reason lies in the increase in pressure. At sea level, the pressure equals one atmosphere. But for every 10 meters you dive, the pressure increases by one atmosphere. So if you were to dive to ten meters, the pressure would equal two atmospheres. A hydrothermal vent 2,500 meters deep experiences 250 atmospheres.

How does this affect the boiling point? As the pressure increases, so does the boiling point. The boiling point of water may be 100 degrees at sea level, but it is much greater deep in the ocean.

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100°C

310°C

370°C

410°C

445°C

480°C