The sinking of the Titanic has fascinated historians and captured the imagination of the public ever since it took place in 1912. It also helped that James Cameron’s massive 1997 hit film about the accident fundamentally reignited worldwide interest in the long-sunken ship.
As decades went by, researchers have looked for the wreck, found it, studied it, and elaborated hundreds of models and recreations to find out exactly what happened and how it all went down after the RMS Titanic hit the famous iceberg on its way to New York, on a cold April night.
Now, more than a century after the sinking, a new underwater expedition has used high-tech equipment to capture the first images of the wreck in over 15 years. It’s an exciting time.
@tritonsubmarines
Why is this relevant?
Other than the fact that it’s interesting to get as many photos of the wreck as possible, it’s important to note that no one had seen the Titanic in over 14 years. It’s not that easy going there, as the sunken ship is sitting at a depth of about 12,500 feet (3.8 km) in freezing waters.
The new high-res pictures and footage can help scientists know more about the sort of conditions that ships in similar state can expect over time, as well as predict the wreck’s ultimate fate and how quickly it will get there. Eventually, the ship will be completely lost to the sea—and this research can tell us when that’ll happen. We can also evaluate how human activity has affected the wreck, as well as measure the development of microbes and other underwater populations based on the Titanic’s outer appearance.
The expedition has other uses as well. It can help developers produce more accurate 3D models of the ship than ever before, paving the way for new ways to interact with history—through augmented reality, for example.
@atlantic.productions
The expedition
The expedition was comprised of an international team of deep-sea explorers who undertook five manned submersible dives with the DSV Limiting Factor over the course of eight days. The research is intended to be part of a documentary by Atlantic Productions, titled Mission Titanic, which will air on National Geographic next year.
And while the footage is truly awesome, let’s not forget the fact that we’re talking about a tragedy in which thousands of people lost their lives. Do keep that in mind while you enjoy the otherwise jaw-dropping photos.
Cover picture @atlantic.productions
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