Cave! Underwater! Trapped!

What counts as a city? I'm sure there are small towns in the Rocky Mountains higher than 9000 ft. With a few hundred permanent residents.

I have an idea I think would work for long term, but there's probably not enough time to implement.

They are already in the process of putting a 2+ mile air tube in. What they need to do then is build a wall with a hatch. Wall them in against flood waters.

Two sided hatch may allow transfer of supplies until water goes down.

Doing it in one of the narrowest parts of passage way, would mean little construction work.

Quote: rxwine

They are already in the process of putting a 2+ mile air tube in. .

That sounds cheap, not. Thailand is not
exactly an economic powerhouse,
who's paying for all this.

They will need two tubes. The passage is sealed with water can't pump in air without letting it get out somewhere.

Quote: Wizard

Trivia time! What city in the US is at the highest altitude? No searching and please put answers in spoiler tags.

Quote: Wizard

I've been at 17,000 feet, which has 11%. Granted, I had acclimated but these kids should be acclimating too as the oxygen is going down gradually.

The so called "Death Zone" is around 7%. At that level it is impossible to acclimate, and you will eventually die.

But normally, you are not at low oxygen levels for months at a time. I think the real danger is that they will be forced to evacuate a month from now at 10%.

Quote: Pacomartin

Quote: Wizard

Trivia time! What city in the US is at the highest altitude? No searching and please put answers in spoiler tags.

My guess for US city without looking it up

Falstaff, AZ

The so called "Death Zone" is around 7%. At that level it is impossible to acclimate, and you will eventually die.

But normally, you are not at low oxygen levels for months at a time. I think the real danger is that they will be forced to evacuate a month from now at 10%.

Is the oxygen percentage relative to the total of all gasses in the atmosphere? I ask because I wonder if the percentage of carbon dioxide that must be rising from all the rescue workers in the cave, makes a difference. Wasn’t the CO2 the issue on Apollo 13?

Quote: Ayecarumba

.Is the oxygen percentage relative to the total of all gasses in the atmosphere? I ask because I wonder if the percentage of carbon dioxide that must be rising from all the rescue workers in the cave, makes a difference. Wasn’t the CO2 the issue on Apollo 13?

From what I read CO2 is also a factor making things worse.

Also from the sound of things, they may have to go in the next 24 hours as conditions may never get better from now on.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Is the oxygen percentage relative to the total of all gasses in the atmosphere? I ask because I wonder if the percentage of carbon dioxide that must be rising from all the rescue workers in the cave, makes a difference. Wasn’t the CO2 the issue on Apollo 13?

Yes, oxygen is normally 21% of the mixture. When you rise in altitude, oxygen percentage remains the same, but because the air pressure goes down you don't get as much air. So at 8000' the equivalent oxygen is 15%.

By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide.

In the cave the actual oxygen percentage is 15% since air pressure is the same. So other gases have increased their percentage. Extra nitrogen can make you "narced up" which is like being drunk. Potential life savings skills could be lost. Also over a long period of time you could get symptoms like the bends. The only treatment is to have a chamber, which obviously can't be brought into the cave. And the Co2 is obviously poisonous.

41 confirmed dead in Phuket tourist boat disaster. several missing.