A frantic search is currently underway to find the missing Titanic submersible, which is carrying five individuals and is rapidly running out of oxygen. In a race against time, a Canadian plane has been deploying underwater sonar devices called ‘sonobuoys’ to detect banging noises occurring every 30 minutes during the search. This development has sparked hope that the crew aboard the vessel named ‘Titan’ is still alive and deliberately making noises against the hull. To understand this technology and its implications for the rescue mission, let’s take a closer look at sonar.
Sonar, an abbreviation for Sound Navigation and Ranging, is a technique that utilizes sound waves to visualize underwater environments. Unlike radar and light waves, sound waves can travel further in water. Therefore, sonar is widely used to explore and map the ocean, develop nautical charts, locate underwater hazards, search for and map objects on the seafloor such as shipwrecks, and map the seafloor itself. Sonobuoys play a crucial role in underwater searches. These devices are dropped from planes into the water and descend towards the surface with the help of parachutes. Once they reach the water, sonobuoys separate into two parts. One end, equipped with a radio frequency transmitter, bobs back up to the surface. The other end, containing hydrophones, is deployed into the ocean depths. The two ends are connected by a cable, and any sound detected by the hydrophones is transmitted up to the radio frequency transmitter on the surface. The transmitter then relays the signals to the aircraft, providing rescue teams with potentially vital information about sounds occurring at great depths.
Sonobuoys work based on both active and passive detection. Active detection involves emitting a sound signal and listening for its echo, while passive detection entails listening for sounds produced by moving objects. In the current search efforts, passive detection is primarily being used to pick up possible sounds of the crew banging against the submersible’s hull. Active detection is challenging around the Titanic wreck due to the difficulty in distinguishing between the submersible and the surrounding debris. Additionally, there is a third category of sonobuoys known as ‘special purpose sonobuoys,’ which provide supplementary information about the environment, such as water temperature or wave height.
Sonobuoys were initially developed during World War II to detect German U-boats. Acoustic signals picked up by the hydrophones would be relayed to aircraft through the radio transmitter. Nowadays, sonobuoys have a wide range of applications, including search and rescue operations, mapping airplane crash sites, locating sunken ships, and finding survivors at sea. Unfortunately, locating the missing submersible requires three sonobuoys to pick up the sound and triangulate the sub’s position. Triangulation is a method commonly used by geologists to determine earthquake locations based on angles.
While the recent detection of banging sounds underwater offers a glimmer of hope, it is crucial to maintain realistic expectations. Dr. Jamie Pringle, a Reader in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, emphasizes that the 30-minute intervals between the sounds are positive indicators. The continuous noise suggests the possibility of a manmade source rather than another submarine or surface ship propeller. However, it is important to acknowledge that the sound could originate from something other than the sub. The lack of oxygen also remains a critical factor since, even if the sub is located, the rescue team would still need to ascend to the surface and unbolt it.
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