Scientists Say Sunken Vessel Irradiating The Ocean
There is already plenty to be scared of out in the ocean, and that list ranges from vicious sharks to careless oil spills. However, we recently learned about a very different kind of “spill,” and it’s making the ocean more dangerous than ever before.
According to IFL Science, a Russian submarine that sunk off the coast of Norway back in 1989 may be leaking radiation into the ocean, possibly from the two nuclear torpedoes the vessel was carrying.
A Russian submarine that sunk off the coast of Norway back in 1989 may be leaking radiation into the ocean
The specific type of Russian nuclear sub in question is known as the K-278 Komsomolets. First commissioned in 1983 by the Soviet Union, this was a fearsome vessel of war at the height of the Cold War. In particular, this type of submarine was feared because its titanium hull (an extreme rarity in submarines at the time) allowed it to descend 3,000 feet underwater.
Because of that feature, this nuclear sub was genuinely one of its kind. That’s why it was so disappointing to Russia (and naval enthusiasts in general) that this ship sank in 1989. It wasn’t lost to battle, however: instead, the ship sank due to an onboard fire that got out of control.
Russian nuclear sub in question is known as the K-278 Komsomolets
While this nuclear sub may have been state-of-the-art at the time, those onboard still had to deal with mechanical glitches such as short-circuiting, and such issues can lead to fatal consequences. That’s exactly what happened when such a short circuit caused an aft fire that led to electrical problems throughout the submarine.
This led to the vessel’s pressurized water reactor shutting down, and after the crew was unable to put out the fires or restore power, the majority of them ended up dying due to hypothermia after the nuclear sub sank to the ocean floor.
Fortunately, 27 crewmen managed to escape the sinking ship, and they likely imagined that their submarine would never hurt anyone ever again. That assumption might be wrong, however.
When Norwegian researchers scanned the area in 2019, they discovered that water samples taken from the wreckage had radiation 800,000 times higher than normal for the area. The obvious conclusion based on these findings is that this Cold War-era nuclear sub is leaking radiation into the water.
The researchers in question were unable to determine whether the radiation detected originated from the nuclear torpedos the submarine was carrying or from the vessel’s nuclear reactor.
While either result sounds very scary, Norwegian researchers have been monitoring the radiation levels of the water around this nuclear sub since the early ‘90s. They have determined that the vessel is deep enough underwater that even if you were to snap your fingers (like Q from Star Trek) and release all of the remaining radiation, “the impact it would have on the surrounding sea life would be negligible.”
When it comes to stories about sunken nuclear subs leaking radiation into the ocean, this is probably the most positive outcome we could have hoped for. It sounds like we aren’t in danger of Godzilla or other irradiated monsters springing to life from this radiation. Still, we can only hope the entire scary incident surrounding the sub and subsequent radiation leak serves as an important reminder for all nations of the world to focus on protecting and preserving our waters and the ocean life within them.
