AKiCiF: Acceleration of Rama

[jeriendhal]

Listening to the Audible edition of Rendezvous With Rama [1] and just got to the bit where they realize why the southern cliffs of the Cylindrical Sea are 500 meters high compared to the 50 meters for the northern shore, to accommodate the sea's rise against the aft end when Rama accelerates.

Except when Rama stops accelerating, wouldn't that mean all that water would be coming back just as swiftly? Fifty meters makes a great wave break, but unless I'm missing something, the northern section would still be seriously flooded.

[1] Which is fairly terrible BTW. Clarke isn't exactly an engaging prose stylist to start with, but Peter Gamin sounds almost asleep while he's narrating.

Comments

[ndrosen.livejournal.com]

There would be a problem if Rama suddenly stopped accelerating, but if it stopped gradually, there shouldn't be a problem. The sea level would rise at one end and fall at the other, but not so quickly as to splash over a 50meter embankment.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Good point. Figures the Ramans would think of that

[allah-sulu.livejournal.com]

And we have to assume that Rama rotates 180° before decelerating.