Iconic sub that first explored the Titanic is heading back to the ocean to solve a 100-year-old mystery
An iconic submersible, which was the first of its kind to explore the wreckage of the Titanic after it was rediscovered, is now heading back below the waves to solve a 100-year-old polar mystery.
Coined as a ‘once in a generation’ mission, the sub known as DSV Alvin will launch this month to study two other ships linked to iconic explorers.
Both vessels Quest and Terra Nova perished due to damage by sea ice in the polar waters, with Quest sinking in 1962 near Labrador in Canada and Terra Nova sinking off the coast of Greenland in 1943.
These vessels are important because they were once used by polar explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton, who both delved into the unknown of Antarctica in the early 1900s.
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Scientists hope to solve a 100-year polar mystery on the sea floor
Now, it is hoped that new studies will unlock mysteries surrounding the final fate of these ships, which have gone unanswered for a century.
As reported by The Independent, John Geiger, who is the expedition leader and chief of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), said: “By combining Canadian and American technologies, and an international team of experts, we will document Quest and Terra Nova in unprecedented detail, creating an extraordinary record of two historic shipwrecks and sharing these important stories with the world.”
Meanwhile, Dwight Coleman, who is the co-chief scientist of the expedition, added: “By using advanced imaging tools, ROVs, and the legendary Alvin submersible, we will be able to see and re-create two historically significant shipwrecks and bring the stories of two great explorers to life.”
The sub once made history by being the first one to explore the Titanic wreckage
The submersible achieved legend status for its previous expedition to the ocean floor in a history-making exploration of the Titanic wreck.
Shortly after the ship was rediscovered in 1985, DSV Alvin was sent down to help scientists get a close-up look at it.
There, the experts spent time analyzing the condition of the ship and photographing the site.
This was an important trip because it gave the world fresh insight into how the Titanic had split apart the night it sank, answering many questions about what had actually happened during its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.
Since then, the sub has been used for many deep sea explorations, with this new mission being its latest task.