A high-tech 3D underwater scanning method rebuilt the wreckage of the historic ship Titanic in amazing detail in photos released in May.

The tragic ocean liner was filmed as it sat on the sea bed in what scientists are calling the biggest underwater scanning endeavor in history.

Magellan, the deep sea specialist that created the scans, employed two submersibles that traveled 12,500 feet below to create what they call the Titanic’s «digital twin,» as well as map the surrounding debris field.

The scans required sixteen terabytes of data and more than 715,000 still photos, according to the researchers.

According to experts, researching the crash is critical because the ship’s wreckage degraded considerably during a 2019 dive. Scientists predict that due to extreme deep-sea temperatures and microorganisms that eat away at the metal, the once-proud passenger ship will be lost by 2030. Traditional underwater photography and filming formerly had to struggle with low illumination at the ocean’s bottom, resulting in murky, dismal images like this one from 1996:

Parks Stephenson, a Titanic expert, said the new scans are a “true game-changer” for future research on the ship, which hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage and sank in April 1912, killing over 1,500 people.

«For the first time, we are seeing a realistic and true depiction of the full disaster and debris site,» Stephenson added.

According to the researchers, the wreck was not disturbed during the scanning procedure.

Stephenson went on to explain that the scans reveal “details that none of us have ever seen before,” opening the way for more Titanic research. «We now have actual data that engineers can utilize to analyze the true mechanics of the Titanic’s breakdown and sinking, bringing us one step closer to understanding the Titanic disaster.»

To capture the images, the team had to endure rough water conditions. «It was a difficult mission,» said Magellan Founder and CEO Richard Parkinson. «In the middle of the Atlantic, we had to battle the elements, harsh weather, and technical hurdles to finish this unique Titanic mapping and digitalization operation.»

«When we saw the data come in, it was all worth it—the amount of detail we observed and recorded was extraordinary,» said Gerhard Seiffert, a Magellan 3D capture specialist.

This includes the serial number printed on one of the propellers, which can be seen faintly even though it has worn away due to time and underwater circumstances.

«Previously, video permitted you to see just a tiny portion of the crash at a time. «With this model, people will be able to zoom out and see the entire thing for the first time,» Seiffert explained.

The Titanic is returning to the surface in an intriguing new fashion, more than 100 years after its fatal collision with an iceberg and subsequent sinking.

«This is the Titanic as no one has ever seen it before,» Seiffert explained.