Researchers have taken extremely accurate images of very deep wrecks with new sonar

Scientists from Ulster University’s School of Environmental Sciences say they have managed to take the most accurate sonar images of the World War I-era wrecks that lie on the bottom of the Irish Sea. Some of them are well outside the limits that divers travel within and have not been seen for 100 years.

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The pictures taken show details such as railings, masts and manholes. The data obtained will be used to create monuments and memorials of sorts for all those who have no grave and whose final resting place was at sea.

“At least 2000 Irish soldiers lost their lives at sea. Unlike their counterparts fighting on land, they never lived to see a grave or memorial, due to the fact that they died at sea,” – Dr Plets, project leader, said.

Wrecks covered:

• RMS “Leinster”, torpedoed in 1918 with more than 500 casualties
• SS “Chirippo”, sank in 1917 after hitting a mine, all were rescued
• SS “Polwell”, torpedoed in 1918, also managed to save everyone

“We have managed to take the most accurate photographs ever taken using the acoustic method. They are full of detail, showing the current condition of the vessels, some of which lie beyond the reach of divers and were therefore last seen by human eyes almost 100 years ago. It is also the first opportunity to trace what exactly happened in each case and predict how the degradation of each object will progress in the coming years,” explains Dr Plets.

Extremely detailed images could be obtained by using a new multibeam sonar. A team of marine archaeologists, geologists and biologists spent an entire week collecting the data needed.

In taking the images, the researchers departed from traditional data collection methods, resulting in much better results, containing far more points on each unit.

“The details obtained are amazing. We can see details such as handrails, masts, anchor locks and hatches. On wrecks that have broken through, even the elements that make up their internal structure are visible. With the conditions in the Irish Sea, no diver or video camera would have been able to provide this amount of detail,” – Dr Plets continues his explanation.

In Ireland, all wrecks older than 100 years are protected. So over the next few years, each of the units surveyed will be added to this list. In order to preserve their history for future generations, it was important to look closely at their current condition and to analyse what has happened to them since they were last seen.

The data collected will now help to create 3D models and panoramas and will form a kind of virtual museum.

More research and data collection is planned for next year. The research is due to start immediately after the winter storms which prevent scientists from returning to the Irish Sea early.

Source: Ulster University,
Photo: INFOMAR – Ireland’s national seabed mapping programme, Ulster University