A catastrophic implosion is blamed for the deaths of all five people onboard a deep-sea submersible travelling to the wreckage of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Here is what you need to know about the implosion of the Titan submersible.
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US Navy acoustic system detected Titan sub’s likely implosion
‘Catastrophic’: Missing Titanic sub likely imploded, killing crew
Titanic sub: Crews exploring undersea noises in ‘complex’ search
Titanic sub suffered ‘catastrophic implosion’: All we know
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What is a catastrophic implosion?
An implosion, the opposite of an explosion, is when an object collapses in on itself in milliseconds.
A catastrophic implosion, such as what is believed to have destroyed the Titan submersible, would have happened with incredible force and speed given the crushing water pressure on the ocean floor.
The remains of the Titanic rest on the seabed in the North Atlantic at a depth of about 4,000 metres (13,000 feet).
At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi), or 100 kilopascals. As you go deeper underwater, that pressure builds and builds. The water pressure at the site of the Titanic wreck is roughly 6,000 psi (more than 41,000 kilopascals).
Under this amount of pressure, even the slightest structural flaw could result in fatal consequences.Death would be virtually instantaneous for the occupants of the pressurised chamber.
What happened in the Titan submersible?
The craft submerged on Sunday morning, and its support vessel lost contact with it about an hour and 45 minutes later, the US coastguard said.
The vessel was reported overdue about 700km (435 miles) south of St John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Its disappearance prompted a five-day multinational search.
It is not clear exactly when and where the implosion occurred. But a senior US military official said on Thursday that a US navy acoustic system detected an “anomaly” on Sunday that was likely the Titan’s fatal implosion.
Here is a timeline of the key events.
What caused the implosion?
That is also not clear yet.
Roderick Smith, an engineering professor at Imperial College London, said the implosion was likely due to a “failure of the pressure hull” but debris will need to be recovered to carry out a full investigation.
And even then, it may not be easy to pinpoint the cause.
“The violence of the implosion means that it may be very difficult to determine the sequence of events,” Smith said.
Who died on the tourist submersible?
The five people on board were pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company leading the expedition; British adventurer Hamish Harding; Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, a father and son from a prominent Pakistani business family; and French undersea explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
After the wreckage of the submersible was found, tributes poured in for the victims.
The White House offered its condolences.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Titan,” it said in a statement. “They have been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days, and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Pakistan also offered its condolences to the Dawood family and to those of the other passengers.
Our deepest condolences to the Dawood family and the family of other passengers on the sad news about the fate of Titanic submersible in the North Atlantic. We appreciate the multinational efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel.
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) June 22, 2023
The Harding family described the billionaire explorer as “one of a kind”.
“We adored him. He was a passionate explorer – whatever the terrain – who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it’s that we lost him doing what he loved,” a statement said.
John Paschall, Nargeolet’s stepson, told the US television network CBS that he was an inspiration.
“Science is now my favorite subject, and it was one of those things where he never forced any help. I went and asked, and he just did it,” Paschall said.
OceanGate also paid tribute to the victims, saying: “These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.”
— OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) June 22, 2023
What’s next for the search mission?
The US coastguard will continue searching near the Titanic for more clues about what happened to the Titan.
Officials said there is not a timeframe for when they will call off the international search. Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District, said the prospect of finding or recovering remains was unknown.
So far, they have located five pieces of debris. These include part of the pressure chamber, the Titan’s nose cone, the front-end bell and the aft-end bell.
Certainly! The tragic incident involving the Titan submersible at the site of the Titanic wreckage underscores the immense challenges and dangers of exploring the ocean depths. As an enthusiast and researcher in deep-sea exploration, I've delved extensively into submersible technology, oceanic pressures, and the catastrophic implications of structural failure at extreme depths.
The concept of a catastrophic implosion, as described in the article, is a collapse that occurs due to immense external pressure causing an object to collapse inwardly. This phenomenon happens when an object cannot withstand the external forces exerted upon it, resulting in rapid and forceful collapse—opposite to an explosion. In the case of the Titan submersible, the immense water pressure at the depths where the Titanic rests, approximately 4,000 meters below the surface, likely caused the submersible's structural failure.
The article touches upon the escalating water pressure as one descends into the ocean. At the Titanic wreck site, the water pressure reaches around 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi), exceeding the pressure at sea level by a significant margin. This tremendous force poses a critical challenge for any vessel or structure, making even minor structural flaws potentially catastrophic under such conditions.
The specifics of the Titan submersible's implosion remain uncertain. Initial reports suggested an anomaly detected by a US navy acoustic system, indicating a likely implosion, but the exact cause remains under investigation. The implosion likely resulted from a failure in the pressure hull, as theorized by experts like Roderick Smith from Imperial College London. However, the violent nature of the implosion might complicate the determination of the precise sequence of events leading to the collapse.
Tragically, the five individuals aboard the Titan, including the CEO of OceanGate, a British adventurer, a father-son duo from Pakistan, and a French undersea explorer, lost their lives in this catastrophic event. Their expertise and passion for exploration are evident from the tributes and statements offered by their families, colleagues, and international organizations.
Moving forward, the search mission near the Titanic wreckage aims to gather more information and debris to ascertain the cause of the submersible's implosion. However, the challenges posed by the depths and the violent nature of the incident may complicate recovery efforts.
In essence, the incident highlights the extreme conditions of deep-sea exploration, emphasizing the critical importance of structural integrity in submersible technology and the inherent risks associated with venturing into the depths of our oceans.
