The world’s most famous shipwreck has been revealed as never seen before, with the very full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, created using deep-sea mapping.
It provides a unique 3D view of the entire ship, enabling it to be seen as if the water has been drained away – this angle will likely reveal the precise mechanics of the tragic 1912 event, up to now mostly subject to speculation.
Over 1,500 people died when the ship struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
The new scan captures the wreck in its entirety, revealing a complete view of the Titanic. It lies in two parts, with the bow and the stern separated by about 800m (2,600ft). A huge debris field surrounds the broken vessel, reports the BBC.
The scan was carried out in summer 2022 by Magellan Ltd, a deep-sea mapping company, and Atlantic Productions, who are making a documentary about the project.
The amount of work and technology involved are incredible: submersibles, remotely controlled by a team on board a specialist ship, spent more than 200 hours surveying the length and breadth of the wreck.These took more than 700,000 images from every angle, creating an exact 3D reconstruction.
Magellan’s Gerhard Seiffert, who led the planning for the expedition, said it was the largest underwater scanning project he’d ever undertaken.
„The depth of it, almost 4,000m, represents a challenge, and you have currents at the site, too – and we’re not allowed to touch anything so as not to damage the wreck”, he explained.
„And the other challenge is that you have to map every square centimetre – even uninteresting parts, like on the debris field you have to map mud, but you need this to fill in between all these interesting objects.”
The scan shows both the scale of the ship, as well as some minute details, such as the serial number on one of the propellers.
The bow, now covered in stalactites of rust, is still instantly recognizable even 100 years after the ship was lost. Sitting on top is the boat deck, where a gaping hole provides a glimpse into a void where the grand staircase once stood. The stern, however, is a chaotic mess of metal. This part of the ship collapsed as it corkscrewed into the sea floor.
In the surrounding debris field, items are scattered, including ornate metalwork from the ship, statues and even unopened champagne bottles. Dozens of shoes rest on the sediment.
The sea is taking its toll on the wreck, microbes are eating away at it and parts are disintegrating. Historians are well aware that time is running out to fully understand the maritime disaster.
But the scan now freezes the wreck in time, and will allow experts to study them forever.
Cei șase supraviețuitori chinezi de pe Titanic. O poveste incredibilă
