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The missing Titan submarine is one of the vehicles aiding humanity in exploring the depths of the ocean, most of which remain unseen by the naked eye.
According to CNN, the 2022 data from the US National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration reveals that despite humans exploring the surface of the ocean floor for thousands of years, only about 20% of the ocean floor area has been mapped.
Researchers often say that traveling into space is easier than diving to the ocean floor. While 12 astronauts have spent a total of 300 hours on the surface of the Moon, only three have spent about three hours exploring Challenger Deep, the deepest known point beneath the Earth's ocean floor.
Dr. Gene Feldman, a distinguished oceanographer at NASA, stated: 'In fact, we have a clearer map of the Moon and Mars than we do of our own planet.'
There is a reason why human exploration of the deep sea is limited. Descending to the ocean floor means delving into a world with extremely high pressure and significant risks. The environment is almost pitch black with virtually no visibility, and the temperature is extremely cold.
The Titan submarine, currently missing during the exploration of the Titanic wreck at a depth of approximately 3,800 meters underwater, poses challenges for rescue teams in determining its location and lifting the vessel. These factors contribute to the overall difficulty of comprehensive exploration of the ocean floor.
Dr. Jamie Pringle at Keele University in the UK states, 'Searching underwater is quite complex because the ocean floor is much rougher than on land.'
If the Titan submarine doesn't resurface, search and rescue teams will rely on sonar, a technique using sound waves to scan the murky depths of the ocean, aiming to pinpoint the vessel's location. According to Dr. Pringle, this process will require using a very narrow beam that can provide a high enough frequency to paint a clear picture of the ship's location.
History of Ocean Exploration
The first submarine, created by Dutch engineer Cornelis Drebbel in 1620, got stuck in shallow waters. It took nearly 300 years - after the Titanic disaster - for sonar technology to help scientists get a clearer picture of what lies beneath the ocean floor.
A significant milestone in human exploration occurred in 1960 with the historic dive of the Trieste submarine to Challenger Deep, located at a depth of 10,916 meters underwater.
Only a few missions since then have taken humans back to such depths, and these journeys are extremely perilous.
According to NOAA, every 10 meters beneath the ocean surface increases pressure by one atmosphere. This means a trip to Challenger Deep could subject a vessel to pressure equivalent to that experienced by 50 giant jet engines. Feldman adds that with such pressure, even the slightest structural error could lead to disaster.
During the 1960 dive to the Trieste submarine, passengers Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh were astonished to see living organisms in this extreme environment.
What Lies Beneath the Ocean Floor
According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, while the ocean floor ranges from 1,000 meters to 6,000 meters deep, deep-sea trenches can go as deep as 11,000 meters. This area is known as the hadal zone. In the hadal zone, the temperature is only slightly above freezing, and no sunlight penetrates.
Scientists first proved the existence of life below 6,000 meters beneath the ocean floor in 1948.
Discoveries at Challenger Deep are truly remarkable, as humans witness vibrant, color-filled rock formations possibly of chemical origin, gigantic crustacean-like amphibians, and Holothurians, also known as sea cucumbers, living at the ocean floor.
Mr. Feldman also recalls his dive in the 1990s when he encountered a giant squid lurking in the ocean's pitch-black depths. The first video footage of a living creature, possibly reaching up to 18 meters, was captured in the deep sea near Japan in 2012.
A new world unfolded in the 1970s when marine geologist Robert Ballard, later associated with WHOI, discovered an entirely unfamiliar ecosystem near the Galápagos Rift. Giant tube worms, giant clams, giant crabs, and other living creatures were observed.
Researchers at WHOI and NASA collaborated to develop unmanned underwater autonomous vehicles capable of navigating through complex trench terrains and withstanding pressures over 1,000 times greater than surface ocean pressure. These vehicles can explore the diversity of life in the ocean floor trenches.
Why is Mapping the Ocean Floor So Challenging?
From a scientific perspective, deep-sea expeditions do little to enhance our understanding of the ocean's mysteries.
Mr. Feldman states: 'Humans are drawn to extremes. We want to go to the highest, lowest, farthest places.'
However, humans only see a very small percentage of the deep ocean and a minuscule area of the ocean floor has been mapped with the naked eye.
According to Mr. Feldman, the primary reason is the cost. Ships equipped with sonar technology can significantly inflate expenses, with fuel alone reaching up to $40,000 per day.
According to scientists, mapping the ocean helps us understand how the shape of the ocean floor influences ocean currents and where marine life appears. It also aids in understanding seismic risks. Therefore, this is a fundamental scientific field with significant importance for humanity.
Source: CNN
