The History of Titanic
The Titanic, a passenger ship that was the largest of its time, was on its maiden voyage from Britain to New York in 1912. During the journey, it struck an iceberg in the frigid waters about 670 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The ship sank, with approximately 1,500 passengers out of the nearly 2,200 onboard losing their lives. The wreckage of the ship also sank to the depths of the ocean. Nearly 73 years later, in 1985, an American officer named Robert Ballard discovered the wreckage using a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) funded by the National Geographic Society. While the primary objective was to find two lost nuclear submarines, Ballard was granted permission to search for the Titanic as well. After eight days of searching, he finally located the wreckage of the Titanic. It was resting at a depth of approximately 3,800 meters below the surface of the ocean. The Titanic's wreckage has been visited multiple times since its discovery, primarily for research and tourism purposes. To date, around 250 individuals have reached the site, including James Cameron, the director of the famous 1995 film "Titanic." He has made 33 trips to the wreck in a Russian military submersible called "Mir." The Titanic was constructed with iron and steel plates and girders. Despite being submerged in the depths of the ocean for so many years, its structure has remained largely intact. It still contains items used by passengers at the time of the sinking, and the ship's hull can still be observed. The question arises: why hasn't the wreckage deteriorated or corroded over all these years? The Titanic's resting place, situated at such a great depth, experiences a water temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius, which is significantly colder than the surrounding ocean. Additionally, the pressure at the seabed is approximately 400 times greater than atmospheric pressure. One might wonder how the pressure hasn't crushed the wreckage. Regarding the pressure, it's important to note that the ship's structure is open, such as its sheeted decks or compartments, allowing water to freely flow in and out from all directions. This means that the pressure is evenly distributed, balancing the forces acting on the ship. The Titanic's hull is filled with water, and water surrounds it from all sides. If it were airtight like an air-tight container or a drum, it would have imploded under the immense pressure. This is evident in recent submersibles that have imploded due to pressure. However, the Titanic's structure has remained intact because the water inside and outside the hull equalizes the pressure.Now, let's address the concept of corrosion or rusting of iron. On land, iron requires the presence of moisture and oxygen in the air to rust. However, can seawater provide oxygen? Yes, seawater can dissolve oxygen, and the seawater around the Titanic wreckage contains dissolved oxygen, typically ranging from 7 to 8 milligrams per liter. This oxygen can come from various sources, such as absorption from the air above the sea, seaweed and algae, rivers carrying oxygenated water, and bacteria present in the ocean. Marine organisms, like fish, extract dissolved oxygen through their gills. The Titanic's rusting occurs due to a chemical reaction between the iron in the ship's structure and the chemically imbalanced seawater. This reaction creates iron oxide, commonly known as rust. If the iron were present in water with higher salinity, it would rust more rapidly. Therefore, the presence of saltwater and dissolved oxygen contributes to the corrosion of the Titanic's wreckage. In conclusion, the Titanic's wreckage has not deteriorated or disintegrated significantly due to the balanced pressure acting on its structure and the presence of dissolved