The Titanic, the luxury passenger ship known as "unsinkable", collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912, causing one of the worst shipwrecks in human history. The story has been adapted into countless films, novels, documentaries, and even musicals, deeply touching people all over the world.
This giant ship, which sank into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, has only been fully displayed before us today. Recently, the first full-size 3D scan of the Titanic wreck was released overseas, which is the largest underwater scanning project in history and the first time to show the full picture of the Titanic. The study may shed light on what happened to the Titanic on that fateful night in 1912.
So, how was this 3D scan made? What can it tell us?
How to make a 3D scan
This 3D scan was created by deep-sea mapping company Magellan Ltd. and Atlantic Productions. They remotely controlled two submersibles, called Romeo and Juliet, for a six-week expedition to the North Atlantic shipwreck site in the summer of 2022. They took more than 700,000 images from all angles, providing an accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of the wreck.
The task was very difficult and dangerous, as the wreck was located at a depth of almost 4,000 meters, with extremely high water pressure, extremely low visibility, and a lot of wreckage and sediment. Researchers must carefully operate the submersible to avoid colliding with or damaging the wreck site. They must also take into account currents, climate, batteries, and other factors to ensure that the submersible can complete its mission safely.
The researchers said the study was conducted without damaging the wreck site, and the team also held a flower-laying ceremony to honor the dead.
What 3D scans can tell us
This 3D scan not only restores the full view of the hull, but also includes some tiny details, you can see the serial number on the propeller, the champagne bottles, shoes and other items scattered around. These objects are testimonies of the lives of passengers and crew members in those years, giving us a sense of their presence and stories.
What's more, this 3D scan may give us a clearer picture of what really happened on the Titanic. Parkes Stephenson, who has studied the Titanic for many years, said: "Now we can finally see the Titanic directly from the evidence and data without human interference."
Stephenson said there was "a lot to learn" from the wreck, such as the nature of the iceberg collision, the process by which the hull broke, the way passengers and crew escaped, and so on. These were previously inconclusive or controversial issues, and now there are new leads and evidence.
The story of the Titanic
The Titanic is a cruise ship under the British White Star Shipping Company with a displacement of 46,000 tons, a length of 269 meters, a width of 28 meters and a height of 53 meters. Construction began on 31 March 1909 at the Haaland and Wolff shipyards and sea trials were completed on 2 April 1912. It was considered one of the most advanced, luxurious and safe passenger ships of its time.
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set off from Southampton, England, and began its maiden voyage. It is scheduled to sail through Cherbourg, France, and Queenston, Ireland, before heading to New York, USA. It carried more than 2,200 passengers and crew, including many upper-class people and wealthy people.
At about 23:40 on April 14, 1912, the Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 650 kilometers from the Canadian island of Newfoundland. The impact ruptured the starboard bow to the middle of the boat and flooded five watertight tanks. Due to design flaws and management errors, watertight tanks could not effectively prevent the water level from rising, and the number of lifeboats was far from adequate.
At about 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, after more than two hours of struggle, the Titanic hull broke in two and sank 3,700 meters to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the lack of sufficiently effective radio communication and rescue mechanisms at that time, the California, which was cruising nearby, did not detect the disaster in time, and the first Karpasia to arrive at the scene was too late. In the end, only 711 people survived.
The sinking of the Titanic shocked the world and triggered reforms in maritime safety rules and radiocommunication standards. At the same time, the Titanic has also become a cultural symbol and eternal topic, which has been repeatedly reproduced and interpreted in various media.
Write at the end
After the first full-scale 3D scan of the Titanic wreck was released, it attracted widespread attention in the scientific community and the public community. This innovative study not only shows the full face and detailed character of the Titanic wreck site, but may also provide new clues and evidence to solve the mysteries that have arisen around the legendary passenger ship for more than a century.
At the same time, this study also allows us to revisit the story of the Titanic, a story of dreams, love, disaster, sacrifice and heroism, which touched the hearts of countless people and inspired countless people's thinking.
The Titanic shipwreck site is a precious historical heritage, which not only records the vicissitudes of an era, but also witnesses the progress and challenges of human civilization. We should respect and protect it, and we should draw lessons and inspiration from it and let it be a beacon for us to move forward.
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