The geology of the Titanic site and vicinity

Introduction

• The RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, and its wreck was discovered in 1985.
• The site is located south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, at a depth of approximately 3790 meters.

Methods

• The geology of the Titanic site was mapped using data from the ANGUS and ARGO imaging systems, supplemented by the submersible Alvin.
• Data included bathymetry, seafloor morphology, and composition of the Titanic debris.

Topographic Setting

• The Titanic site is situated on the upper continental rise within a broad re-entrant between the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge and the Fogo Seamounts.
• Cameron Canyon, a significant geological feature, cuts across this area.

Cameron Canyon

• The canyon’s floor is covered with bioturbated mud, slumps, and debris flows, including glacial erratics.
• No conclusive evidence of erosion or deposition from the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake was found.

Titanic Sediment Wave Field

• A previously unknown sediment field was discovered, characterized by various bedforms such as sand ribbons, rippled sand sheets, barchan dunes, mud waves, and ripples.
• These features are shaped by the Western Boundary Undercurrent (WBUC).

Bedforms and Current Features

• Sand Ribbons: Long, narrow sand bodies with rippled surfaces.
• Rippled Sand Sheets: Wide areas of rippled sand.
• Barchan Dunes: Crescent-shaped dunes with rippled stoss sides.
• Mud Waves and Ripples: Smaller bedforms with rounded crests.
• Moats, Comets, and Shadows: Features formed by the interaction of currents with obstacles like glacial erratics.

Titanic Site and Debris Field

• The Titanic’s hull is in two parts, with the bow and stern sections separated by 600 meters.
• The debris field covers an area of about 1700 meters by 875 meters, consisting of heavy wreckage, metal, coal, and other materials.
• The bow section is buried up to the base of the starboard anchor, with a narrow trench and deformed sediments on the starboard side.
• The stern section is deeply buried, with the screws beneath 14 meters of sediment.

Conclusion

• The Titanic site is located on a bioturbated muddy bottom with various bedforms influenced by the WBUC.
• The distribution of bedforms reflects a decrease in sand supply and current velocity.
• The spacing between the bow and stern sections indicates the ship broke apart at the surface.