The swiftness
of the actual dissolution of the Titanic is very surprising and this report
states that it will be a done deal in most of our lifetimes. Needless to say, all the iron that sank
throughout the twentieth century will experience the same fate.
Even on land,
buried iron has a similar lifespan. I
have dug up metal posts decades old and they crumpled in my hands. It takes unusual conditions to preserve iron
from the effects of bacteria.
At least this
will give us a real time line for all sunken vessels that is reliable. We are at the century mark for the Titanic
and a mere twenty or so years will largely finish it off, plausibly leaving a
few heavy parts a few additional decades.
First it was an iceberg, now it's bacteria:
Rust-eating species 'will destroy wreck of Titanic within 20 years'
By GRAHAM SMITH
Last updated at 1:00 PM on 12th January 2011
Scientists believe preserving ship
is 'impossible'
The
wreck of the Titanic will be nothing more than a rust stain on the bed of the Atlantic within 15 to 20 years, scientists warned today.
A
newly-discovered species of rust-eating bacteria is slowly consuming the 50,000
tons of iron that makes up the sunken liner.
Experts
now believe the invasive group of micro-organisms will eventually cause the
shipwreck to completely decompose.
Disintegrating:
A newly-discovered species of rust-eating bacteria will have consumed the
Titanic on the bed of the North Atlantic
within 20 years
Identified
using DNA technology, the bacteria and has been found on clumps of rust - known
as rusticles - that have covered Titanic's iron hull in the century since it
sunk in 1912.
The
bacteria - Halomonas titanicae - is said to be fast consuming the rust and the
iron.
Consequently,
scientists believe the wreck - that is in two separate sections - will be
nothing more that a huge 'rust stain' on the seabed within 20 years.
HISTORY OF THE TITANIC
Dubbed the 'unsinkable' ship, the Titanic famously struck an
iceberg and sank in under three hours on April 15, 1912, killing more than
1,500 passengers and crew.
It lay unseen on the ocean floor for decades, until 1985,
when an American-French expedition identified its final resting place 329 miles
south-east of Newfoundland
The wreck, which was split into two sections 2,000ft apart,
has now been the focus of research by scientists and historians for 25 years.
The
discovery is the result of two decades' worth of research on the
micro-organisms on Titanic, which sank in the North
Atlantic on her maiden voyage.
It was
made by Dr Henrietta Mann and Bhavleen Kaur from Dalhousie
University , in Halifax ,
Nova Scotia , in conjunction with researchers
from the University of Sevilla , Spain
Dr Mann,
adjunct professor with the department of civil engineering, said: 'I think
Titanic has maybe 15 or 20 years left. I don't think it will have too much
longer than that.
'It has
already lasted for 100 years, but eventually there will be nothing left but a
rust stain on the bottom of the Atlantic .'
The
bacteria was discovered in rusticles collected from the wreck of by a team of
scientists in 1991.
Dr Mann
and her team began studying them in 1995, but it is only within the last few
years that DNA technology has progressed enough for the bacteria to be isolated
and studied fully.
The
rusticles - porous, dark orange, icicle-like structures that form on rusting
iron - covered the metal surface of Titanic and are home to a host of
micro-organisms.
This
includes 27 strains of bacteria, from which Halomonas titanicae was isolated
and found to be particularly partial to iron.
Its
destructive tendencies mean the delicate rusticles will eventually disintegrate
into a fine powder in the salt water.
The
destructive tendencies of the Halomonas titanicae bacteria mean the delicate
rusticles will eventually disintegrate into a fine powder in the salt water
Dr Mann
said: 'The rusticles on Titanic are made from a composition of different
micro-organisms. It's not just one species of bacteria munching on it.
'But we
have now identified one which particularly likes eating iron.
'To
explain it in human terms, not every type of bacteria has the same taste. So if
you present different people with a plate of chocolate and cheese, some may
prefer one and some the other.
'This is
a type of bacteria which particularly likes eating iron.
'Nature
is very clever, and everything is recalled eventually. Nature makes it, and
nature claims it back.
'In this
case, the bacteria helps to decompose the ship.'
While
the preservation of Titanic is now thought to be impossible, it is hoped the
discovery could lead to scientists being able to prevent the destruction of
other iron structures.
Dr Mann
said: 'Unfortunately, because Titanic is 2.3miles down, it is very difficult or
impossible to preserve. It is film which will preserve it for history now.
'I hope
that we are able to do more research into the bacteria. There are oil rigs,
iron pipes and other iron structures in the ocean which may deteriorate in the
same way as Titanic.
'To come
up with certain things to prevent micro-organisms taking hold of them, or
slowing down the process would be a useful thing.'
Ed
Coghlan, chairman of the Irish Titanic Historical Society, said: 'This research
backs up what divers who have been down to the wreck have seen; that the ship
is falling apart.
'Fortunately
it has been photographed extensively and there are wonderful videos to show us
what it looked like underwater.
'In the
future, people might think it is a shame we didn't do more to preserve it, but
the reality is that to preserve it would cost an absolute fortune and is
probably almost impossible.
'It may
be that as the structure of the wreck disappears, more of the interior becomes
accessible.
'We may
be able to learn even more about Titanic once things like the mail bags, for
example, become visible.
'Titanic
is a very human story and it will be fascinating to see what happens to the
wreck in the coming years.'
It is
not yet known if the new species of bacteria was present on the RMS Titanic
before or after it sank, or whether it is a unique strand to that particular
wreck.
Dr Mann
and her team have published their findings in the latest issue of the
International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
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