How dangerous is the wreck of the Titanic?

 How dangerous is the wreck of the Titanic?

the wreck of the Titanic(Getty)

Question arises about what kind of risks exist in a deep-sea expedition to search for the wreckage of the sunken ship Titanic in the depths of the ocean.

In 1911, a massive chunk of ice broke off in Greenland during one summer. Over the following months, it gradually drifted southward. As it melted, influenced by ocean currents and wind, the iceberg began to move slowly. 

the wreck of the Titanic

Then, on the frigid and moonless night of April 14, 1912, the passenger ship Titanic collided with a 125-meter (410-foot) long iceberg. Sailing from Southampton, England, bound for the United States, the Titanic was the first of its kind, a groundbreaking ocean voyage.

Within three hours of the collision, the ship sank. More than 1,500 passengers and crew members lost their lives in the tragedy. The remains of the Titanic now lie approximately 400 miles (640 kilometers) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada. The depth of the ocean at this location is about 3.8 kilometers or 12,500 feet.

the wreck of the Titanic

Icebergs still pose significant hazards in the realm of maritime travel, as evidenced by numerous incidents. From March to August 2019 alone, 1,515 icebergs drifted southward and entered the Atlantic Ocean's shipping lanes.

However, there are still risks associated with visiting the resting place of the Titanic. This means that encountering notable challenges would be inevitable when trying to witness the location of the world's most famous shipwreck.

the wreck of the Titanic(Getty)

Five passengers, including a submersible called the "submersible," have ventured to see the remains of the Titanic. After its discovery, BBC has sought to explore the submerged site in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and encounter the significant challenges it presents.

Deep-sea exploration

In the deep sea, there is no light, just complete darkness. The sunlight is quickly absorbed by the ocean's water. Sunlight does not reach depths greater than about one thousand meters or 3,300 feet from the sea surface. Beneath it, any location in the ocean is immersed in profound darkness. That's why the area where the Titanic sank is known as the "Midnight Zone."

Those who have ventured into submarines in that area have experienced that after spending more than two hours in complete darkness, suddenly the underwater topography and the remains of the Titanic are illuminated by the light of the submarine.

In the deep sea, visibility beyond a few meters is not possible with the light from the submarine, which is about the size of a truck. As a result, there is a higher probability of losing direction. Managing operations in such deep waters is a challenging task.

Over the past few decades, a detailed map of the Titanic's wreckage site has been created through high-resolution scanning. It allows us to see what is there and where. Additionally, devices that send sonar signals can be used to identify various objects and the different sides of the Titanic's hull outside the field of view of the submarine's harsh lighting.

Submarine pilots also use a method called "inertial navigation." With the help of an accelerometer and a gyroscope, they can track their position and distance. OceanGate's Titan submersible also has a state-of-the-art inertial navigation system that can measure the depth and speed of the submerged vessel.

Despite having such advanced technologies, previous ocean explorers, including those on OceanGate, have described how difficult it was to find the underwater topography after reaching the seafloor. Mike Reis, an American TV comedy writer, participated in a Titanic expedition with OceanGate last year. He said, "When you descend, you truly won't know where you are. Even if you know that the Titanic is somewhere on the seafloor, your situation will be like that of a blind person." The darkness is so absolute that even though the colossal structure like the Titanic is just 500 yards (15 feet) away, it took us 90 minutes to locate it.

Water pressure in the depths of the ocean

The deeper an object goes in the ocean, the higher the water pressure around it. At a depth of 3,800 meters or 12,500 feet beneath the ocean surface, the Titanic and everything around it are experiencing a pressure of around 40 MPa, which is nearly 390 times higher than atmospheric pressure on the ocean's surface.

According to Robert Blasiak, a marine researcher at Stockholm University's Resilience Centre in Sweden, the water pressure there is about 200 times greater than the pressure on your car tires. Therefore, you would need a submarine that is truly strong and resilient to withstand such immense pressure.

The Titanic submarine is designed in such a way that its walls, made of carbon fiber and titanium, can withstand a maximum depth of 4,000 meters or 13,123 feet.

Underwater currents

We are aware that boats or humans can move on the powerful surface currents of the ocean. However, there are also underwater currents beneath the deep sea. Although these currents are not as strong as surface currents, they still cause significant movement of water in different directions. They can even affect the column of water below the ocean surface. The density differences of water caused by temperature and salinity variations in the deep water can create visible variations in water density, known as thermohaline circulation. Rare natural events known as "benthic storms" can generate powerful and turbulent currents that displace objects on the ocean floor.

The flow of water around the Titanic

Information about the water currents around the Titanic and its surroundings can be gathered from patterns on the ocean floor and the movement of squids. A portion of the Titanic's wreckage, known as the "Western Boundary Undercurrent," is located in a cold, southward-flowing current-controlled area. This undercurrent creates ridges and furrows between the ice and coal debris of the ship, which scientists can use to understand its power. Scientists have observed that many of the patterns on the ocean floor are formed due to moderate currents rather than strong ones.

The eastern part of the Titanic's wreckage is scattered and lodged within the debris field. The patterns of the debris indicate the presence of a west-to-east current. Scientists suggest that the main current at the site of the wreckage flows from north-northeast to south-southwest.

Some experts believe that the currents in this area, particularly the ones flowing southward, are particularly dynamic and can exert pressure on the entire wreckage of the Titanic.

Gerhard Jäger, a marine geophysicist who recently conducted a high-resolution survey of the Titanic's wreckage using submersibles, stated that the wreckage will be subjected to pressure throughout its length due to the movement of these currents.

How the remains of destruction exist

Over a period of more than 100 years, the Titanic has gradually deteriorated on the ocean floor. After sinking, the larger parts of the ship's two main sections become distorted due to the collision with the seabed. Over time, bacteria consume the iron of the ship's wreckage, creating a rusticle formation resembling ice and accelerating its decay. Scientists speculate that there is a higher concentration of bacteria in the rear section of the ship because there is more damage in that area. A comparison with the front section shows that it is deteriorating 40 years earlier.

Gerhard Zifferth stated that the gradual collapse of the ship's structure is mainly due to decay. Each year, it deteriorates little by little. However, as long as you keep a safe distance, don't touch anything, and avoid entering openings, there should be no harm.

The flow of debris in the ocean

Although it is almost unlikely, the sudden flow of debris from the iceberg in the past has caused damage to man-made objects on the ocean floor. The most significant event among these incidents occurred in 1929 when the transatlantic telecommunication cable in Newfoundland's sub-Arctic region was severed. It happened for reasons similar to an earthquake. Although there is no direct indication of such events related to the discovery of the Titanic submarine, scientists' understanding of these risks has become clearer now.

Through years of research, it is known that the seabed surrounding the remains of the Titanic has been struck by massive underwater landslides. Scientists have identified this area as an "active erosional corridor." They believe that large quantities of debris originating from Newfoundland have contributed to its formation.

However, according to Canadian Geological Survey oceanographer David Piper, such events are rare. He compared them to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius or Mount Fuji, which occur only a few times every several thousand to tens of thousands of years.

Other factors such as the heavy flow of water and storms can also contribute to such incidents. It is possible that we witness events of this nature every 500 years, says Piper. However, the area known as the "Titanic Valley," which will impede the flow of the erosional corridor, will prevent these events from reaching the Titanic's wreckage.

Both Zifferth and Piper claim that the likelihood of such events occurring is low regarding the discovery of the Titanic submarine.

There are other paranormal characteristics surrounding the remains of the disaster that remain unknown. During a previous expedition in the Titanic's wreck site along with the Ocean Gate, French Navy's former deep-sea diving officer Paul Henri Nargeolet heard a mysterious sound through the sonar device. Later, it was revealed to be a stone wall covered by marine organisms. The origin of the sound remains unknown.

In summary, the remains of the Titanic have deteriorated over time on the ocean floor, and various factors like bacterial consumption of iron, underwater landslides, and other natural phenomena have contributed to its decay and distortion. While rare events can potentially cause further damage, scientists believe that the probability is low in relation to the discovery of the Titanic wreck.