Scanning technology brings Titanic’s secrets to the surface

For decades, the Titanic could be seen only by explorers. Now, 3D scanning technology will allow us to study it from the comfort of dry land.

The bulk of the ship still remains intact, despite lying on the bed of the Atlantic for 111 years. Picture: Atlantic Productions/Magellan

For decades, the wreck of the world’s most famous doomed ship could be seen only by daring ­explorers, scientists and the makers of multibillion- dollar films.

Now, 3D scanning technology will allow us to study the Titanic from the comfort of dry land.

Magellan, a deep sea mapping company, has completed a full scan of the vessel as it lies on the ocean floor. It includes everything from the grand scale of the ship to the detail of unopened champagne bottles and dozens of shoes.

The imaging also shows the two sections of the ship – bow and stern – which separated when the ship broke in half as it sank. They lie 800m apart, in the middle of a large field of debris. While the scan creates the possibility of bringing the public closer to the wreck than they could ever have hoped, its main aim is to assist in the study of the ship.

Since its discovery in 1985, cameras have been able to capture much of the vessel, but only in glimpses through the dark depths of the Atlantic.

The scan, on the other hand, provides a 360-degree view of the wreck which allows for greater ­investigation. It may even challenge long-held assumptions about the sinking.

“There are still questions, basic questions, that need to be ­answered about the ship,” Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst, told BBC News. “We really don’t understand the character of the collision with the iceberg. We don’t even know if she hit it along the starboard side, as is shown in all the movies – she might have grounded on the iceberg.”

The scan was conducted by Magellan, in partnership with ­Atlantic Productions, a television production company that has been documenting the project. A fleet of remote-controlled submersibles spent more than 200 hours capturing 700,000 ­images of the wreck from every angle. The size and depth of the ship made this uniquely challenging.

“The depth of it, almost 4000m, 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,” said Gerhard Seiffert of Magellan.

A fleet of submersibles spent more than 200 hours capturing 700,000 ­images of the wreck. Picture: Atlantic Productions/Magellan

“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.”

As with previous footage of the wreck, the scan has a haunting air as it includes obvious signs of the human life aboard the ship, whose sinking claimed more than 1500 lives. At one point on the ship’s deck, there is a gaping hole immediately above the famous grand staircase which went on to be immortalised in the 1997 blockbuster film directed by James Cameron.

The two sections have contrasting natures. The bow remains proud and almost familiar from its recreations in images and movies, though it is marked by rust and decay. However, the stern is in a calamitous state. When it sank, it was not fully filled with water and the increased pressure caused air pockets to rip apart the hull. Further damage occurred upon its impact with the sea bed.

A raised anchor on the wreck of the Titanic. Picture: Atlantic Productions/Magellan

The scan has also captured the Titanic at a particular point of time, allowing its future decay to be better charted. It is possible that a repeat of the scan in five or 10 years could measure the progress of the disintegration, potentially prompting greater debate over preserving it.

The scan shows rust clearly visible on the ship, and there are already elements which have gone missing since it was first discovered. One of the most notable absentees is the ship’s crow’s nest.

Even 111 years after it sank, the Titanic still has stories to tell. However, it will not always be there to do it and is changing all the while. The scan has frozen it in time as it decays and will for ever offer a snapshot of the entirety of the ship’s grave at the bottom of the Atlantic.

“What it’s showing you now is the true state of the wreck,” Mr Stephenson said. “It allows you to see the wreck as you can never see it from a submersible, and you can see the wreck in its entirety, you can see it in context.”

The Times