What is the absolute pressure in the ocean at 16 meters (53 feet)?

To calculate the absolute pressure at a given depth in the ocean, one must consider both the weight of the water above and the atmospheric pressure at the surface. The standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 atmosphere (atm), which is approximately 101.3 kPa.

As a general rule, pressure increases by roughly 1 atm for every 10 meters of seawater. At a depth of 16 meters, the pressure due to the water column can be calculated as follows:

1. The depth of 16 meters exceeds 10 meters, so for the first 10 meters, you gain 1 atm.
2. The additional 6 meters contributes another 0.6 atm (since 6 meters is just under 10 meters, you can roughly add 0.6 atm to the existing pressure).

Therefore:

• From the first 10 meters: 1 atm
• From the next 6 meters: Approximately 0.6 atm

So, adding these together, the pressure due to the water at 16 meters is approximately 1.6 atm. Including the atmospheric pressure at the surface (1 atm), the total absolute pressure results in about 2.6 atm.

Hence, the absolute pressure at 16