What's it like to breath a dense atmosphere?
- Thread starter Elliot
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M
Malenfant
Guest
Heavy
Assuming that by "dense" you mean "has higher oxygen pressure than sea level on Earth", I think you'll end up feeling a bit more active and energetic as the oxygen pressure (the % of O2 in the air multiplied by the atmospheric pressure) is higher and you can breathe more of it in per breath. However, if the atmospheric pressure is also high (above a few atms), you need to watch out for narcosis and poisoning from the buffer gases (esp. Nitrogen). Also, slower winds will do more damage in a dense atmosphere, since more air is being moved around - however, it's harder to get strong winds for the same reason. Higher atmospheric density possibly also does things to the speed of sound too.
A thin atmosphere is exactly like breathing air at high altitude - less O2, which leads to altitude sickness and requires a period of acclimatisation. If the O2 pressure is low enough (to about 0.1), oxygen starvation is very likely.
Assuming that by "dense" you mean "has higher oxygen pressure than sea level on Earth", I think you'll end up feeling a bit more active and energetic as the oxygen pressure (the % of O2 in the air multiplied by the atmospheric pressure) is higher and you can breathe more of it in per breath. However, if the atmospheric pressure is also high (above a few atms), you need to watch out for narcosis and poisoning from the buffer gases (esp. Nitrogen). Also, slower winds will do more damage in a dense atmosphere, since more air is being moved around - however, it's harder to get strong winds for the same reason. Higher atmospheric density possibly also does things to the speed of sound too.
A thin atmosphere is exactly like breathing air at high altitude - less O2, which leads to altitude sickness and requires a period of acclimatisation. If the O2 pressure is low enough (to about 0.1), oxygen starvation is very likely.
What would an visitor to a dense world (by which I mean Traveller UWP dense atmosphere) need to do to stop narcosis - a period of time in a oxygen tent? Or would they eventually aclimatise?
As to thin - is thin breathable without assistance after aclimatisation (i.e. like at 3500-4000 meters (Materhorn base)) and v.thin with assistance, as in sky diver gear?
As to thin - is thin breathable without assistance after aclimatisation (i.e. like at 3500-4000 meters (Materhorn base)) and v.thin with assistance, as in sky diver gear?
M
Malenfant
Guest
Nitrogen narcosis is only a problem if the atm pressure is high enough - about 3+ atms I think, with standard O2 pressure. So normal Dense atmospheres don't have that problem, Type D (Dense, HIgh) would at the surface though.
Thin should be breathable after acclimatisation. Very Thin needs O2 masks and stuff.
Thin should be breathable after acclimatisation. Very Thin needs O2 masks and stuff.
