The Titanic is proving to be a literal treasure-trove for scientific study of the deep ocean floor. Because there are only five submersibles in the world that can visit the extreme depths of 12,600 feet, where Titanic resides, every visit to the ship have proven to be of tremendous value to the scientific community. Each dive to the Titanic has the potential to discover a new species of plant or animal life - and in most cases, many new lifeforms has been found and cataloged for further study. The area surrounding Titanic can now be referred to as a natural field laboratory for the study of deep ocean ecosystems. There are very few scientific works about Titanic that have been released to the general public; however, in the future we will be seeing more scientific data presented that will provide a keen insight into the local environment surrounding the ship. By further understanding this in-situ environment, we can provide the associated research that could aid in the preservation of the Titanic. Obviously, the difficulty of conducting scientific studies at this depth limits the number and types of comprehensive examination that can be performed on the wreck site of Titanic. The following is an abstract of a scientific research paper that I presented yesterday at the global Oceans 2005 conference in Washington, DC. The entire five page paper will be placed on our corporate website next week.
Comparative Photometric Analysis of Structural Degradation on the Bow of RMS Titanic
Abstract - A comparative, qualitative photometric survey of RMS Titanic was undertaken to subjectively analyze the condition of the structural integrity of the ship since her discovery in 1985 to the present. The goal of this study is to visually observe the rate of degradation of the condition of the bow section of the ship. Photographs taken from previous expeditions commencing from 1986 to the present were analyzed and compared to monitor the structural decay of the hull and superstructure over the course of time. The observations of this subjective analysis reveal a rapid decomposition of many areas throughout the bow of Titanic. Many decks have collapsing walls, rotted out structure, and vibrant growths of rusticle development. There is a significant widening of the bow expansion joint over time that is clearly evident in this part of the ship. Additionally, there is a very huge tear in the starboard plate aft of the number one davit that is expanding with each passing year. The results of this analysis show that the bow of RMS Titanic has been losing its structural integrity at a rapid rate and she is in danger of total collapse.
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