A deep sea diver may hurt his ear drum during diving because of

A deep sea diver may hurt his ear drum during diving because of

lack of oxygen
high atmospheric pressure
high water pressure
All of the above
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2015
Pressure in water increases significantly with depth due to the weight of the water column above. A deep sea diver experiences very high external pressure from the surrounding water. The middle ear is normally filled with air at approximately atmospheric pressure (adjusted through the Eustachian tube). If the diver does not equalize the pressure in their middle ear with the external water pressure, the large pressure difference across the ear drum can cause it to bulge inward and potentially rupture.
Hydrostatic pressure in a fluid increases linearly with depth. The significant pressure difference between the external water pressure and the internal ear pressure is the cause of potential ear drum damage for divers.
Divers are trained in techniques (like Valsalva maneuver) to equalize the pressure in their middle ears with the external pressure, preventing barotrauma (pressure injury).
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