Key Points
- Thermal Inversion: As Titanic sailed from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream into the cold Labrador Current, a layer of cold air trapped beneath warmer air created a thermal inversion. This condition is known to cause optical phenomena like superior mirages and looming.
- Refractive Phenomena: The thermal inversion likely caused the iceberg to appear higher or be obscured against a false horizon. The dim lighting and calm sea further contributed to the difficulty in spotting it.
- Lack of Binoculars and Misjudged Warnings: The lookouts were not equipped with binoculars, and the night was moonless, exacerbating the visibility challenges.
- Physics Demonstrations: The article describes a classroom experiment that simulates the effects of thermal inversion, using sugar-water solutions to mimic atmospheric layers. This experiment helps illustrate how refractive phenomena like superior mirages and looming can obscure objects, aiding students in understanding the physics behind the disaster.
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Citation:
Gregory A. DiLisi (2022) The Sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic: A Case Study in Thermal Inversion and Atmospheric Refraction Phenomena, The Physics Teacher, John Carroll University
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