close
Tuesday December 24, 2024

Depth of Titan submersible equals how many Empire State Buildings?

Depth of Titan below the sea level can be judged by the last signal sent by five passengers on board as it suggests they've moved to ocean floor

By Web Desk
June 22, 2023
This August 2019 photo courtesy of Atlantic Productions shows the latest image of the side of RMS Titanic which rests 12,500 feet (3,810 metres) below the Atlantic Ocean, and 370 miles (595 km) south of Newfoundland, Canada. — AFP
This August 2019 photo courtesy of Atlantic Productions shows the latest image of the side of RMS Titanic which rests 12,500 feet (3,810 metres) below the Atlantic Ocean, and 370 miles (595 km) south of Newfoundland, Canada. — AFP

The Titanic shipwreck, which is submerged at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, is the subject of a rescue effort to locate and recover it. A French rescue ship carrying a strong underwater vehicle for the rescue is currently sailing there.

It has been reported that the Victor 6000, aboard the French rescue ship Atlante, is the only underwater vehicle capable enough to rescue the missing submersible with five people on board because it has the capability to reach a depth of 20,000ft (6096m).

Reports suggest that the Titan sends a 15-minute warning to its mothership, Polar Prince, to communicate with those on the surface of the Earth. Five passengers pinged the ship at 10 am for the last time, suggesting they had moved to the ocean floor.

However, it is still unknown exactly where the submersible lost its way after embarking on a tour of the Titanic shipwreck, which resides 12,500 ft (381 m) below sea level, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It would require a tower of ten Empire State Buildings to cover this massive depth. 

According to reports, if it can be assumed that the vessel lost its way near the century-old shipwreck, then it can also be assumed that it may be wandering or stuck at a depth ten times deeper than the Empire State Building, which measures a height of 1,250ft (381m).

According to CNN, David Gallo, who is the owner of the salvage rights to the Titanic wreckage, said: "One of the biggest things is where is it? Is it on the bottom? Is it floating? Is it mid-water?"

He added: "That is something that has not been determined yet. We will have to wait and see and hope for the best. The water is very deep — two miles plus. It's like a visit to another planet; it's not what people think it is. It is a sunless, cold environment and high pressure."

Recent developments in the incident suggest that the vessel is left with less than 24 hours of breathable oxygen and the French rescue ship will not arrive at the site until tonight, making the situation much more worrisome.