2023-06-21 07:19:28
picture explanation,
View of the submersible ‘Titan’ preparing to descend from the surface of the sea
Article related informationJournalist, BBC Visual Journalism Team Correspondent, BBC News
24 minutes ago
A tourist deep-sea submersible visiting the ill-fated shipwreck ‘Titanic’ went missing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the 18th (local time), and US and Canadian authorities urgently launched a search.
The submersible had five people on board, and with only a small amount of oxygen remaining, rescue authorities are racing against time.
Then, we looked at how the search work for the submersible, which has been missing for almost two days, is carried out and what factors hinder the search work.
What is the search focus area?
The submersible ‘Titan’ lost contact with the ‘Polar Prince’, which was on the surface of the sea, about an hour and 45 minutes after descending to look at the Titanic wreckage on the 18th.
As of 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the 18th, experts estimated that the amount of oxygen remaining inside Titan could sustain it for about 40 more hours.
The wreck of the Titanic lies resting about 700 kilometers south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, but a search operation is underway in Boston, Massachusetts.
Both the US and Canadian government agencies, the navy and private companies are participating in the search operation, and military aircraft, submarines, and sonar buoys have also been mobilized.
Along with the ‘Polar Prince’, the cable laying ship ‘Deep Energy’ joined the search, and the tugboat ‘Atlantic Merlin’ and a supply ship are also heading to the search point.
Canadian Coast Guard personnel are also due to arrive late on the 20th local time, as are other ships from the US Navy. In addition, private ships are also contributing to the search operation.
US Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick said the search was “not an easy task” but US and Canadian search authorities “are looking for it day and night.”
Meanwhile, Alistair Greig, a professor at the University College of England, who is an expert on submarines, pointed out that the big problem is that the rescue authorities cannot immediately know whether to search the surface or the seabed.
At the same time, he warned that sea level and undersea searches are very difficult.
sleep search
First of all, the US Coast Guard announced that the research vessel ‘Pola Prince’, which transported the submersible to the site where the wreckage of the Titanic sank on the 18th, searched the sea surface on the evening of the 19th. In addition, US and Canadian authorities, such as the ‘C-130 Hercules’ aircraft, are conducting search operations in the air.
According to the US Coast Guard, a total of 7,600 mi² (approximately 19,600 km²) was searched by 6pm British Daylight Savings Time (BST).
Meanwhile, Australian submarine escape and rescue expert Frank Owen told the BBC that if the Titan could reach the surface, it could signal rescuers.
“They’ll have radio transmitters, GPS signal transmitters, etc.,” Owen said.
However, Professor Greig emphasized, “The submersible is about the size of a large camper, and its surface is white, so it is not easy to find it from the air.”
In addition, the capricious weather and short visibility are also holding back the search party.
deep sea search
Rescuers would have to search a depth of nearly 4km to find the 6.7m submersible. This is because radio and GPS signals do not travel underwater.
On the 20th, the US Coast Guard explained that it was also extending its search deeper into the water.
A Canadian ‘P3 Aurora’ aircraft arrived on the scene and started sonar operation, and sonar buoys were also deployed in the area.
Sonar buoys, also called ‘sonobuis’, can detect and identify objects moving in the water, and are often used to detect enemy submarines.
Sonar buoys can detect sounds made by propellers, machinery, etc., or sounds made by passengers on the submarine hull (passive sensing function), and transmit sound waves directly to detect echoes that “bounce” off the ship’s surface. It can (active sensing function).
Owen warns that the search operation will be very difficult if the submersible is underwater, as it is not very large and is amidst the wreckage strewn on the seafloor when the Titanic sank.
Owen told the BBC that it was “like looking for mines in a minefield”, adding that it would be difficult to distinguish between rocks and artifacts.
What can be done in the missing submersible ‘Titan’?
A submersible and a submarine are different. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while submarines can descend underwater independently from ports, the power reserves of submersibles are very limited, so they need ships to transport them to the middle of the sea and then lower and raise them.
Meanwhile, reporter David Fogg of the US CBS participated in the exploration of the Titanic by the US undersea exploration company ‘Oceangate Expedition’ last year.
At the time, Fogg was told that the submersible had seven safety devices to return to the surface:
Pipe Separation: Using a hydraulic device, buoyancy can be obtained by dropping three lead pipes. Weight Separation: If the hydraulic system inside the submersible fails, tilt the submersible on both sides to separate the weights fixed on the sides by gravity. Detachable ballast bag: Uses a motor to remove the metal ballast (heavy object placed on the floor for weight and centering) hooked to the bottom of the submersible. The device is disassembled, thanks to which the ballast bag can be removed even if the electrical and hydraulic systems fail Airbags: Airbags can be inflated to provide buoyancy.
What are the rescue measures when found on the seabed?
US Coast Guard Maj. Gen. John Morger explained that if the Titan could not surface, additional equipment would be needed to rescue it.
According to ‘Oceangate Expedition’, the Titan is one of only five manned submersibles in the world that can reach the wreckage of the Titanic at 3,800 meters under the sea.
Meanwhile, Professor Greig points out, if Titan is at the bottom of the sea and can’t get back up on its own power, the options are very limited.
“Sure, the Titan could be intact, but if it’s deeper than 200m, few submarines can dive that deep, and divers obviously can’t get in.”
“Even ships designed for naval submarine rescue do not get anywhere near where the Titanic wreck rests.”
Therefore, remotely operated unmanned submersibles (ROVs) are indispensable for searching near wreckage points.
The cable laying ship ‘Deep Energy’, which arrived at the search site on the 20th, also deployed at least one ROV, but it is questionable whether it will be able to reach this depth. In addition to this, other vessels with ROVs are also moving to the site.
The US Navy has an ROV that can go as deep as 3,800 meters, and thanks to this, it was able to retrieve a fighter jet that crashed at 3,780 meters in the South China Sea last year.
At the time, the US military used the ROV to attach a connecting device around the crashed aircraft, and then connected it to a lifting hook connected to a crane of a rescue ship waiting on the surface of the water.
Meanwhile, marine rescue expert David Munns believes that if the ROV can locate the Titan submersible, it can be rescued. “If you have a world-class ROV, [타이탄을] You can grab it or attach a lift line to slowly bring it to the surface.”
video description,
A life-size digital 3D scanned image of the shipwreck ‘Titanic’, sleeping 3800m below the North Atlantic Ocean
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