In the hypothetical scenario explored in what if the notion of draining Earth's oceans through a mysterious portal at the Mariana Trench's base is examined. With oceans constituting 70% of the planet's surface water, the scale is immense—equivalent to numerous Olympic-sized pools. Even a portal the size of a basketball court would require hundreds of thousands of years for complete drainage, considering the oceans hold over a billion cubic kilometers of water. Imagining a pump powerful enough to drain oceans within a minute, the consequences become evident.
Swimmers, sailors, and cruise passengers would swiftly experience the impact, as shallow water occupants crash to the bottom, escaping with minor injuries. Deeper vessels, however, including Titanic-sized liners, would rapidly plummet, resulting in their destruction. Sea creatures would rain down to the ocean floor, with those near the bottom potentially facing further peril. The oceans serve two vital functions: regulating global temperatures by redistributing warm and cold waters and fueling the water cycle through evaporation and rainfall.
Without oceans, these functions collapse, transforming Earth into a desert where rain becomes a memory. Even lakes and rivers wouldn't suffice as they constitute only 3% of total water, leading to rapid dehydration, mass animal and plant deaths, widespread forest fires, and an increasingly oxygen-depleted atmosphere. Ultimately, the planet would resemble Venus—uninhabitable and scorching. The scenario underscores the vital role oceans play in Earth's balance, urging an appreciation of their significance.
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