# Why is the ocean floor soft? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963 "2003-01-31T21:30:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/1 "2003-01-31T21:30:04Z")
I’m sure this has something to do with physics (which i did not take) but why isn’t the ocean floor “hard as a rock” due to the enormous weight of the water? I bet there is a simple answer i am just over looking.😕 ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/2 "2003-01-31T21:39:31Z")
Because the material that is soft and mushy on the ocean floor is porous. The weight of the water doesnt press them together because it flows around it. the particulates “settle” on the ocean bottom and their fluffiness is maintained until there is enuf stuff on top of them to push them together. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/3 "2003-01-31T21:40:08Z")
There’s a constant deposition of fresh silt from airborn dust and fish poop. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/4 "2003-01-31T21:48:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*There’s a constant deposition of fresh silt from airborn dust and fish poop. \*\* I like X~Slayer(ALE)'s answer better. Actually i realized what the answer was shortly after “submitting”. Thanks, :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/5 "2003-01-31T22:41:37Z")
also, think about quicksand. hard little pieces of rock made into perfect sinkability. why? because they are in suspension. the sand on the bottom of the ocean is the same. there’s a lot of water in the bottom of the ocean. so all the sediment (unless it has solidified into sandstone) is relatively smooshy. guh, that’s not so clear. sorry. jb ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moonlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Mr.Moonlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moonlight)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/6 "2003-01-31T22:57:15Z")
These depositions, are they given freely with legal representation? ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/7 "2003-01-31T23:07:44Z")
Absolutely. The ocean is full of sharks 😛 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/8 "2003-02-01T00:47:22Z")
\>\> I’m sure this has something to do with physics (which i did not take) but why isn’t the ocean floor “hard as a rock” due to the enormous weight of the water? It’s the other way around. The water does not push the particles down but rather pushes them up so that a particle in the water weighs less than it does in the air. So your question should be why the fields around your home are not hard as a rock. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/9 "2003-02-01T17:40:01Z")
Atmospheric pressure is 30cm of mercury. Mercury is _heavy_. But pillows stay soft and fluffy. Air moves around the feathers. So there is 30cm of pressure on _all_ sides. Take a pillow, put it in a plastic bag, suck the air out. Goes flat right away. The seabed is a fluffy pillow of sediment surrounded by water. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-ocean-floor-soft/151963/10 "2003-02-01T23:52:01Z")
This is a kinda odd question. First of all wet sand is usually soft. Now if you’re talking about hawaii where there is a lot of volcanic rock, the bottom is hard, yes.