113 years after Titanic sank, new digital replica offers three-dimensional view of tragedy
We know the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the cold North Atlantic with the deaths of more than 1,500 people in April 1912, yet the ship still haunts and fascinates us – and now, a new full-size digital replica is offering more details into the 113-year-old disaster.
Magellan Limited, a deep-sea mapping company, used two remote-controlled underwater robots to digitally scan the wreck from every angle, taking "715,000 photos and millions of laser measurements" over three weeks in 2022, according to National Geographic.
Sunlight doesn't penetrate ocean water below 3,300 feet. At 12,500 feet deep, the Titanic lies in what's known as the undersea "midnight zone." Even with the floodlights of submersibles, the size of the wreck and darkness of the water give us only "tantalizing snapshots," the BBC says.
The digital scan gives a full view of the ship. Magellan created the three-dimensional replica of the wreck for a National Geographic documentary titled “Titanic: The Digital Resurrection,” which can be seen on the Disney+ channel, for the 113th anniversary of the sinking.
The Titanic's first and last voyage
The luxury liner, Titanic, departed Southhampton, England, on its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. The ship carried about 2,240 passengers and crew, but not enough lifeboats to accommodate them all.
The ship struck an iceberg shortly after 11:30 p.m. on April 14 and sank at about 2:20 a.m on April 15. About 705 people survived.
Magellan's images indicate the Titanic's crew kept the boilers going as the ship was sinking, the BBC says. That kept the ship's lights on and make launching lifeboats easier.
How big was the Titanic compared to modern-day cruise ships?
Titanic's lifeboats were not filled to capacity
The Titanic's memory is preserved in museums
Visitors can view hundreds of items found from the Titanic's wreck site at several museums and special exhibitions. Here are a few locations:
One of the places that annually observes the Titanic disaster is Cobh, a town in County Cork, Ireland. The community will hold a special ceremony on April 13 to mark the 113th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking. Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown, was the Titanic’s final port of call on its maiden voyage.
The wreck itself continues to disintegrate. Submersible visits over the years have shown an increase in its deterioration, with rust and microorganisms eating away at the ship's metal.
Dives over more than a decade have shown the ship is falling apart. But recent evidence of increased deterioration – including the loss of an iconic 15-foot section of railing on the port side of the ship’s prow – is driving home the point.
The railing can be seen lying on the seabed beneath the ship's port anchor in the latest photos of the wreck site, taken by an RMS Titanic Inc. expedition in July 2024.
Some researchers say the ship could collapse by 2030. Others give it hundreds of years.
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; Magellan; National Geographic; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration