Under Pressure

by Natalie Salvatierra

9th Grade at Foothill High School (Tustin, CA)

Honorable Mention

The light from the surface of the water becomes dimmer as I continue to submerge into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. I am about 600 feet down and will soon be entering the mesopelagic zone of the sea. The sunlight offers slight visibility through the water, making it a comfortable home for a plethora of species, including squid and eels. The ocean lulls a tranquil song, creating peaceful serenity.

Occasionally, cuttlefish drift in front of my pod. I volunteered to be the tester and the first woman to go alone into the hadalpelagic zone. For my mission, I am using a brand-new, one-person submarine pod, which has two hemispheres. The top hemisphere is constructed of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) and contains the pod’s control panels. The bottom hemisphere is made of strong steel to withstand the highpressure sea depths and contains the machinery and motor.

For my mission, I am traveling into the dangerous hadalpelagic zone of the sea, approximately 20,000 feet below the surface. The sole purpose of the mission is to release a probe that will collect a core sample of the seabed with the goal of discovering new species of amphipods (shrimp-like scavengers).

The hope is to uncover some of the mysteries of this elusive ocean zone. The planning for this mission began six years ago in 2018, when the first design of the submarine was being sketched and prototyped.

The first mission was set for 2021, but the pod had problems with its all-GRP exterior. It was unable to withstand the ocean pressure and this delayed the mission by three years. Now in 2024, I am sitting in the small, spherical submarine and making history!

My radio buzzes, and my team’s voices reverberate through the submarine. The highly acclaimed captain, Samantha Williams, congratulates me on the smooth descent from the hub. Her encouraging
attitude is what inspired me to accept the mission. My submarine is equipped with the latest satellite tracking, giving me confidence in their close monitoring of my position. As I continue to descend, the white and blue glow of bioluminescent fish gently float through the still and silent sea like stars in a midnight sky. I glance at the gauge and see that I am now at the 20,000 mark. It is time to release the probe.

I press the small circular button on the control panel and watch the probe slowly lower into a trench below. It will take about thirty minutes for the probe to reach the bottom. The submarine pod is completely dark with the exception of the red glowing buttons. I shut off the spotlight to prevent distribution of sea life. As I wait for the probe, I put on my night vision goggles and have a look around the dark sea. The white iridescent fish are ghosts of the haunted night.

After I remove my night vision goggles and turn on the lights, I notice a hairline crack in the interior surface of the GRP. A chill trickles down my spine and my heart begins to beat intensely. I know that if that crack gets any bigger, chances are that I will die down here--crushed by the icy cold depths. Luckily water is not seeping through, and according to the gauge, the pressure is stable. However, the fracture is slowly slithering further up the GRP like a snake. Things instantly go from bad to worse as I turn around to pick up the radio to call the hub. I hear one last crackle of the tracker signal and it breaks up--I am now officially on my own. Having lost radio contact, my team is probably frantic and remorseful that the mission has failed. They probably think I am dead, but I will not give up. Solving problems is what I do best.

I try not to think about my chances for survival. Instead, I focus my attention on the crack. I try to think of a scientific explanation for the structural failure. I conclude that the specs of the GRP material and the hemispheric design are not strong enough to withstand the intense pressure. Fearing for my life, my gut tells me that the only option is to return to the surface immediately. As I reach to the lever to begin my ascent, something stops me. My pride tells me that ascending now without the sample will mean the mission is a failure. I turn to look at the crack again. I am at the bottom of the ocean. I am making a discovery. I cannot risk losing 6 years of research, preparation, and investment. It is up to me, a female engineer to complete this mission. There must a solution for this problem.

I grab my notebook and whip out a pencil. Ideas are flooding my head as I try to think of what can temporarily stop the crack from spreading. It occurs to me that when glass breaks, resin is used to patch-up cracks. I don’t have any acrylic solvent onboard for the chemical weld. Perhaps I can find a way to melt something into a resin. I remember that I have a screwdriver with an acrylic handle in my toolbox. Unfortunately, I don’t have a 300+ degree heat source or the proper equipment onboard to melt acrylic into a liquid. I also worry that the melted acrylic will flash dangerously toxic fumes. It is clear to me I will need to continue the ideation and sketching process to find another solution quickly.

What if I can heat-weld the crack? Perhaps I can apply a very narrow line of heat directly on the surface of the crack to produce a smooth finish. This would require some type of soldering iron, which I do not have onboard. I sketch-out a new prototype. If I can create heat using a power source, then I will have a soldering iron. It will require a sharp metal surface that will hold heat, a heating element, some wire, and a power source. I flip open the lid of the toolbox. I take out a roll of insulated wire, wire cutters, and the screwdriver. Luckily, because the sub has an electric motor I have a power source. I am only missing a heating element. Nichrome wire would work great but where can I find that?

As I sipped my hot tea, I racked my brain to figure out how to heat the shaft of the screwdriver.

Suddenly I realized that my electrically-heated Thermos contains nichrome wire surrounded by an insulating fiber! I did not think twice about dumping out the Thermos. I used an adjustable wrench as a hammer to break open the Thermos and pull out the nichrome wire.

I keep my fingers crossed that this homemade soldering iron will get hot enough to temporarily weld that crack. Working quickly, I tightly coil the nichrome wire around the metal tip of the screwdriver and wrap it in the insulating fiber. Next, I connect the nichrome wire ends to two lengths of insulated wire. I open the hatch to access the sub’s motor compartment and attach the wires to the leads on the battery pack. As I hold the plastic handle of the screwdriver I soon begin to feel heat radiating from the surface.

The ends of the nichrome wire have a ruby glow. My heart pounds with anticipation. I position the flat edge of the screwdriver onto the crack. Slowly, I press and drag the edge across the surface, allowing the edges of the crack to melt and fuse together. A wisp of smoke is released into the air. The fumes are strong but not overpowering. After waiting a minute, I run my finger along the surface of the crack and confirm that it has hardened. I feel tremendous relief and a sense of accomplishment.

Pop! Crack! Is the crack is continuing to spread? I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize the noise is the probe hitting and scraping the bottom of the pod. I am now ready to begin my ascent! I go back to the control panel and pull the lever. As I head back to the hub, I begin writing a science log about how I prevented the crack from spreading. I want to educate teams of scientists and others in case they face a similar situation during future expeditions. I hear the crackle of the radio and the signal returns to normal. I just made history!

Two weeks later…

I stroll down the street observing the pigeons pecking at crumbs. The sun glistens overhead and fills my head with the same peaceful song that played during my descent down into the Pacific. Young children are riding bikes, and people are walking their dogs. At the nearby magazine stand, I spot the latest magazine. The headline says: “Woman Discovers Amphipod Species for Cancer Cure.” I smile, purchase the magazine, and head back to the lab ready for my next expedition.

Annotated Bibliography