The article details the 1985 French-American expedition that discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The discovery was led by J.L. Michel from IFREMER and R.D. Ballard from WHOI, using advanced subsea systems to locate the wreck at a depth of 3800 metres.
The expedition involved two years of preparation, including the development of the SAR system (a deep-towed sonar) and the ARGO system (a video-equipped deep-towed vehicle). Key preparations included defining the search area, analysing geological and oceanographic data, and refining subsea navigation systems. The search was conducted in three legs, with the French ship R/V Le Suroît handling initial sonar mapping and the American ship R/V Knorr deploying ARGO to capture optical images.
The SAR system mapped the seabed, while ARGO provided video footage and high-resolution still images. The discovery occurred on 1 September 1985, when ARGO detected a boiler characteristic of the Titanic. A subsequent survey documented the bow, damaged stern, and surrounding debris field.
The expedition demonstrated the operational capabilities of these subsea systems and advanced deep-sea exploration technology. The findings contributed to historical and geological knowledge, and the tools developed were subsequently improved and used in other missions.
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Citation:
Jean-Louis Michel and Robert D. Ballard (1994) The RMS Titanic 1985 Discovery Expedition, Oceans, Proceedings of OCEANS 94
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