What would happen if there was a hole in a space elevator?

It there is a vacum in the elevator like there was in space and there was a hole in it would it continuously suck up the surrounding atmosphere?

Also what would happen if after the space elevator was built and way in the future after people left earth what would happen if the same thing happened but there were not any people on the planet to fix the problem?

The pressures inside the column would equalize to the surrounding atmosphere. Just as a straw doesn't continuously spout soda, the elevator wouldn't spout atmosphere. Most designs for space elevators have a car riding in a track on the ouside, so there wouldn't be a tube for the air to fill anyway. Not that we'll ever build one anyway.

Actually space elevators are made to be hollow tubes and the inside is supposed to be a vaccum to allow faster travel then if there was air resistance.

But there is probably other types too.

Anyway I'm talking about the hollow vaccum type of space elevators.

But your type of space elavator would get rid of the suck out the atmosphere problem. Plus it might be even stronger then a hollow space elavator.

Good ideas! :)

It still wouldn't suck out into space. Pressure decrease (generally) as you go up because their is less gas on top pushing down. Now if you take an atom of air inside the tube, and outside the tube... they both have the same amount of air above them... hence the same pressure, and no reason to move up into space.

Thanks!

I think your right.

It seems like thats what would happen.

At least I hope so!:D