The chemistry of shipwrecks

By 2022-08-01T07:30:00

Underwater photo of a shipwreck showing the helm

Source: © Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust

The surprising science behind preserving wrecks

In March 2022, the wreck of Endurance was found, more than 3000 m below Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, almost perfectly preserved under the ice floes. The state of a shipwreck depends on a host of factors: how long it’s been underwater; the materials it’s made from; the depth, temperature and currents of the water; whether it sank in fresh or salt water; the kind of creatures living on the wreck. Read the article to find out how scientists have preserved wrecks raised from the seabed, such as the Mary Rose and the Hunley. This article is accompanied by a lateral thinking problem about factors affecting rusting for your 11–14 students.

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