Monday 2 August 2010

New expedition to raise the Titanic ‘virtually’

The bow of the Titanic at rest on the bottom of the North Atlantic, about 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland. pic AP


In a challenging deep-sea expedition to the floor of the Atlantic, a “dream team” of scientists, maritime archaeologists and oceanographers will virtually raise the Titanic by making the first detailed 3D map of the famous wreck. A three-week mission will see the team probing a three square mile area two and a half miles beneath the ocean using modern submersible robots, advanced imaging equipment and high definition cameras; the first such attempt since the Titanic wreck discovery in 1985.




The expedition, organised by RMS Titanic Inc, which has exclusive salvage rights to the wreck, will leave St. John's, Newfoundland on Aug. 18 in partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The organisers say that they will not collect any artefacts out of the hundreds of thousands scattered on the ocean floor, but will instead build an interactive "video map" of the wreck that will be available to the public online. "We are raising the Titanic in a virtual sense. The pay-off is to let people explore and experience the Titanic on their own," said David Gallo, Director of special projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts. "It's also to gain information of archaeological importance from maybe hundreds of thousands of artefacts on the seabed. Every one is a bit of evidence of how the ship sank."



Scientists will also try to determine how quickly the Titanic is disintegrating. Many areas have already crumbled, and erosion is feared to have affected significant parts of the wreck. The 30-person expedition crew will use forensics technology to assess damage to the bow and the stern areas, which separated and sank a third of a mile apart; the mission is being billed as “the most advanced scientific mission to the Titanic” by many observers. Says Gallo, "For the first time, we're really going to treat it as an archaeological site with two things in mind. One is to preserve the legacy of the ship by enhancing the story of the Titanic itself. The second part is to really understand what the state of the ship is."

Experts say that the Titanic wreck has been subjected to ‘fierce deep-ocean currents, salt water and intense pressure’ that will make the expedition’s job even more challenging; in addition, the artefacts are scattered and are lying in nearly a century’s worth of sediment. Gallo is well aware of this. "We're actually treating it like a crime scene," he told reporters.

The lead vessel, the RV Jean Charcot will control three submersibles and the latest sonar, acoustic and filming technology. Images will be compared to the original ones taken 25 years ago, when the wreck was first discovered, to measure the effects of erosion.

"Never before have we had the scientific and technological means to discover so much of an expedition to Titanic," said P.H. Nargeolet, the veteran diver with more than 30 dives to the Titanic to his credit. "We're going to see things we haven't seen before. Technology has really evolved in the last 25 years."

RMS Titanic’s last expedition to the site was in 2004, after which it has been conducting travelling displays of the Titanic artefacts, which they say have been viewed by “tens of millions of people worldwide”.
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8 comments:

  1. I wish they would stop trying to bring the Titanic up. It's not going to work. The ship is almost over a 100 years old. One little push or pull will easily destroy the ship even more. If it was up to me, I would keep it down there. The Titanic is like a historical piece. Taking it from the very spot it sunk would be stupid. And another think, "If" they bring it up from the water where the hell are they going to put it? Have you notice the Titanic was a huge ship! Putting in a building will not do it. I had a idea awhile back but it could never work. If they bring the ship up, which I hope to god they don't. Cleaning the ship out. You know, getting the dead fish, people, plants....etc. out of there. Which might take a couple years. They could clean it out, they build like this giant glass fish tank. Like 100 stories tall, and then putting the ship in there. Anchor it down to the glass and then filling the tank up with water. So make it like a tourist land mark. People all over the world can see it. Will that work, it might not. That's why I never told anyone about that plan. But, I'm sure I'm not the only one to think of it. Another thing about not taking it from the ship. Sea creatures live in that ship. It's like a giant hotel for them Taking it from the water would be taking homes from million of animals. Well I'm down babbling on about the Titanic. I myself love it, love the movie and the books. Always have since I was little.

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    1. Like all of you said maybe it could be the HQ for an under water world and stuff. what if there could be unknown species down there? what if there are survivors that mutated and live down there? what if that is the secret to to how people moved rocks in american stone henge? im only 11 so im probably not right but..... what if?

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    2. ok i give up it was me who built stone henge u will :)))

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  2. Please leave The Titanic as it is. It's great to explore it from where it is, but it should stay where it is. It's a grave for all of those who died out there that night. I understand the need to bring it to the surface to discover artifacts and such, but it would be like disturbing the dead. Maybe one day Titanic will rise on Her own.

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  3. there is a man in that picture just chilling and a young girl close to the camera. so the souls are still there.. she is right they will be disturbed and very pissed

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  4. The titanic is one of my favorite mysteries and i think it would be awesome if people could safely bring it up onto land but think about it if they do it will probably collapse because its almost 100 years old and the pressure from bring it up onto land is probably too much for the ship to handle i know one day there will be technology for people to bring it up and they most likely will but people should find a way to give people hours or days of oxygen and lights and stuff in the ship while in water to kinda make it like a hotel underwater.

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  5. i have a famley member still in the titanic thats her grave now to bring it up would be how would u say it grave robbing .... she was trapped between 2 compartments with watertight doors today she is still ther untouched by human .....

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  6. Uhm you guys thy said virtually Bringing it up. The first time they video taped it the movement of
    Water made certain parts crumble. As for the people left inside unless they were in one of the water tight compartments (like someone who mentioned their family member) the fish and sea creatures ate them. They found no trace of human life out of the what 1500 that were left behind.

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