Shortening of submerged ocean cables due to hydrostatic pressure

It is well known that a submerged cable, under hydrostatic pressure, will shrink in diameter due to radial compressive stresses. Less widely appreciated is that the cable will also shorten due to axial compressive stresses acting along the length of the cable. This paper offers an explanation and presents numerical examples to illustrate this shortening effect. It is demonstrated that a submerged cable can support axial compressive stresses without buckling because the fluid pressure on the lateral surface provides a stabilizing force.