Ocean depth comparison video goes viral amid search for missing Titanic sub

As the search for the submarine Titan entered its fourth day on Thursday morning, a video which explains the depth of the ocean in various parts of the world has gone viral.

The graphic had 10m views by 22 June as people anxiously researched the details of the lost submarine, which went missing during a voyage to the wreck of the Titanic.

The video explains how far beneath sea level various landmarks are, including the wreck of the Titanic itself, at 3,700 metres, perhaps giving some indication of how far down the vessel might be.

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For comparison, the average depth of the Atlantic ocean is 3,646 metres, the video says, while the deepest point is 8,376 metres. The deepest point in the North Sea is just 700 metres.

Commenters on social media were understandably perturbed for the safety of those onboard.

One person said: “Please watch and see how far down the Titanic is. I got anxiety just watching it.”

It comes as rescue teams scramble to try to find the lost submarine before time runs out for the five-person crew. Officials said as recently as Wednesday night that they are hopeful of a rescue, despite mounting concerns the oxygen supply on board is becoming dangerously low. Rescuers have brought equipment in from the US, Canada, the UK and France to help find the crew.

The submersible is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. It is estimated that the five missing passengers have until about midday UK time on Thursday before oxygen runs out.

Those onboard Titan are believed to be British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are both British citizens; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77; and Stockton Rush, founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, which organised the trip.

The video goes on to detail how far down other landmarks would be if they were at the bottom of the ocean. The tallest building on earth, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, would be just 829 metres, while Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on earth, would be a whopping 8,848 metres from the surface.

Even that, however, pales in comparison to the deepest known point on earth, which is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, at 11,000 metres.

A commenter said: “Mount Everest being able to fit in the ocean is exactly why we should all have a healthy fear of water.”

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