LNMagic
LNMagic t1_iyl9lgw wrote
Reply to comment by kokopilau in TIL that the southern United States converted all 11,500+ miles of its railroads from broad gauge (5 ft/1.524 m) to nearly-standard gauge (4 ft 9 in/1.448 m) in just 36 hours, starting on May 31, 1886 by 1859
There are a few other reasons we don't drive trains across oceans.
LNMagic t1_iwm3x31 wrote
Reply to comment by admiralbundy in Study indicates flood events at dams will significantly increase over next 80 years due to out of date rainfall modelling and climate change. by unswsydney
With earthen dams, sometimes you get water leaking under or through the dam. If a bulge isn't handled (usually by stacking sand bags on it to counter the pressure), you could end up with a runaway erosion with catastrophic results - especially with half a million people living downstream.
LNMagic t1_iwk7qck wrote
Reply to comment by unswsydney in Study indicates flood events at dams will significantly increase over next 80 years due to out of date rainfall modelling and climate change. by unswsydney
It looks like this study focuses mostly on the likelihood of flooding or reservoir overfilling events. Does this take into account various dam construction methods? The reason I ask is that one of Texas' largest artificial lakes is dammed by an earthworks construction which has become increasingly leaky over several decades. If it were to fail, potentially half a million people could be downstream, and the dam is 20 years older than its designed lifespan.
LNMagic t1_j6h35us wrote
Reply to comment by lemmepickanameffs in TIL that sperm whales are the loudest animal on Earth, and their clicks can literally kill you with sound by g1ucose
It's feasible to measure the decibels. Since water is denser than air, it can support louder noises, and from there they can run calculations as to what that level of energy would do.