Wreck located by the Argo camera sled
In the early hours, after weeks of towing cameras along the seabed in search of the debris trail rather than the hull, Argo returned an image of a ship's boiler. The wreck lay at about 3,800 m, some 13 nautical miles from the position Titanic had transmitted — and in two major sections around 600 m apart, confirming the survivors' account of a ship that broke in two and overturning the 1912 finding.
Historical — it happened, and the record is settled.
Subjects
- 1985 Franco-American Titanic search · expedition · not located
- Titanic wreck site · wreck site · International waters
- Robert Ballard · person · not located
- RMS Titanic · vessel · not located
Evidence
Verified — Every field is supported by a cited authoritative source. This is the standing of the weakest source, not an average.
Records of the 1985 Franco-American Titanic search (R/V Le Suroît and R/V Knorr, Argo imaging sled)
The wreck was located on 1 September 1985 by the towed imaging sled Argo; the hull lay in two major sections roughly 600 m apart with an intervening debris field, at approximately 3,800 m depth.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and IFREMER · 1985 · Verified
R/V Knorr cruise, August-September 1985, with the Argo towed imaging sled (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), preceded by the R/V Le Suroit sonar sweep (IFREMER)
Guidelines for Research, Exploration and Salvage of RMS Titanic
Describes the wreck as lying in international waters roughly 370 nautical miles south-southeast of Newfoundland at about 3,800 m, with separated bow and stern sections and an extensive debris field, and as a site warranting treatment as a maritime memorial.
United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · 2001 · Verified
NOAA, Guidelines for Research, Exploration and Salvage of RMS Titanic, 2001
Recorded on 1985 Franco-American Titanic search
- Keel of yard number 401 laid at Harland and Wolff
- Titanic launched at Belfast
- Sea trials in Belfast Lough and delivery to White Star
- Maiden voyage departs Southampton
- Titanic anchors in Cherbourg roadstead
- Titanic sails from Cherbourg for Queenstown
- Titanic anchors off Roche's Point, Queenstown
- Titanic sails for New York — last sight of land
- Baltic's ice warning handed to Ismay and pocketed
- Mesaba reports heavy pack ice and bergs directly ahead
- Californian's ice message cut off — 'keep out, I am busy'
- Iceberg sighted and struck
- Andrews establishes the ship cannot float
- First distress call transmitted — CQD, later SOS
- First lifeboat lowered; first distress rocket fired
- Last boat launched from the davits
- Lights fail and the hull breaks in two
- Titanic founders
- Carpathia reaches the boats and begins the rescue
- Cable ship Mackay-Bennett sails from Halifax to recover the dead
Related
Related because they share a subject in the Atlas — never because the text looks similar.
- Wreck becomes eligible for UNESCO protection · 2012-04-15
- First human visits to the wreck · 1986-07
- Cable ship Mackay-Bennett sails from Halifax to recover the dead · 1912-04-17
- Andrews establishes the ship cannot float · 1912-04-15 00:05
- First distress call transmitted — CQD, later SOS · 1912-04-15 00:15
- First lifeboat lowered; first distress rocket fired · 1912-04-15 00:45
- Last boat launched from the davits · 1912-04-15 02:05
- Lights fail and the hull breaks in two · 1912-04-15 02:18