Shipwrecks of Shackleton and Scott recreated in 3D digital form after expedition
7 hours ago
- #polar-exploration
- #ocean-mapping
- #shipwreck-discovery
- The wreck of the Quest, Ernest Shackleton's final ship, was discovered 1,000ft deep in the Labrador Sea in 2024, and the Terra Nova, Robert Falcon Scott's ship, was also found.
- An expedition funded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society created highly detailed 3D 'digital twins' of both shipwrecks using advanced underwater imaging technology.
- Shackleton died of a heart attack on the Quest in 1922, and the ship sank in 1962; the Terra Nova sank in 1943 after being used in seal fishing.
- The expedition aimed to inspire a new generation of explorers and highlight how little of the ocean, especially Canada's Arctic waters, is mapped.
- Marine biologists were excited to study wildlife around the wrecks and the effects of deep-sea fishing trawlers, which left nets covering parts of the ships.
- Advances in submersible technology, like the Alvin's increased depth capacity, promise to open new frontiers in deep-sea exploration.
- Geiger emphasized the importance of human presence in exploration for preserving 'poetry, romance, and wonder,' despite the rise of robots and automated vehicles.