New 3D Titanic simulation confirms century-old eyewitness accounts

A New Look at a Century-Old Disaster

More than 110 years after the RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, a groundbreaking project has produced the most detailed digital reconstruction of the wreck ever created—offering new insights that confirm, and sometimes challenge, historical eyewitness testimony.

Featured in National Geographic’s new documentary Titanic: The Digital Resurrection, the project showcases a 3D digital twin of the Titanic, constructed using 16 terabytes of data, over 715,000 images, and high-resolution 4K video captured during a 2022 deep-sea mapping expedition.

Led by Magellan Ltd and Atlantic Productions, the mission used submersibles “Romeo” and “Juliet” to scan every inch of the wreck and surrounding debris field. The result is an ultra-precise model of the Titanic as it now lies on the ocean floor—down to individual rivets and even partial serial numbers on propellers.

Data Validates Long-Contested Accounts

Among the documentary’s most compelling revelations is how the scan supports historical eyewitness reports. For instance, passengers once claimed that ice entered their cabins after the ship collided with the iceberg. The scan now reveals a broken porthole, possibly explaining how water entered those spaces.

Another key detail is the confirmation of eyewitnesses who said the ship’s lights stayed on until the very end, thanks to the efforts of chief engineer Joseph Bell and his crew. The scan shows open valves in the boiler rooms and concave boiler structures, offering physical evidence that supports this long-standing testimony.

A Reconstructed Sinking, Reimagined

Using original ship blueprints, navigational data, and the 3D model, researchers at University College London recreated a highly detailed simulation of Titanic’s final moments. One significant finding: while Titanic was designed to remain afloat with four flooded compartments, the iceberg strike affected six, due to a series of long but narrow punctures—just as naval architect Edward Wilding had theorized in 1912.

The simulation also offers new perspective on the angle of the sinking stern, long depicted as rising vertically into the sky. “Eyewitnesses reported the stern sticking up like a finger,” said deep-ocean explorer Parks Stephenson, “but when accounting for the ship’s port heel and viewing angle, it still matches their descriptions.”

From Wreckage to Digital Twin

First discovered in 1985, the Titanic wreck lies in two main sections, about a third of a mile apart, with a 5×3-mile debris field between them. While the bow remains largely intact, the stern is extensively damaged—likely flattened on impact with the ocean floor. The new scans have allowed researchers to analyze even the portions buried under mud, reconstructing damage previously unseen.

“The detail here is what we’ve never had before,” said Anthony Geffen, CEO of Atlantic Productions. “It’s not just a replica—it’s a digital twin, and that allows us to simulate events and confirm evidence with scientific accuracy.”

A Platform for Future Exploration

The digital twin is not just a tool for revisiting Titanic’s final hours—it’s a breakthrough in underwater archaeology. Stephenson, who has visited the wreck firsthand, emphasized that this scan eliminates human bias from the interpretation process. “This is an analytical dream come true,” he said. “We finally have a complete and accurate map of the wreck site.”

The data has already been applied to other maritime preservation efforts, including corrosion studies for the USS Kidd, a historic naval ship in Louisiana. Moreover, the Titanic wreck itself has become a unique deep-sea ecosystem, with new marine life forming over time.

A Public Experience for the Next Generation

The project’s next phase will make the Titanic scan publicly accessible through immersive experiences. Using virtual reality and headsets, users will be able to “walk” across the ocean floor, explore the wreck site, and engage with the Titanic’s story like never before.

“This is the beginning of something much bigger,” said Geffen. “It’s going to change how the next generation learns about Titanic—and perhaps, how they think about history, evidence, and even the future of our oceans.”

Through meticulous scanning, historical fidelity, and next-gen simulation, Titanic: The Digital Resurrection offers both a memorial and a scientific milestone—turning tragedy into technology to better understand the past and guide future exploration.

Stay with The Horizons Times for ongoing coverage of breakthroughs in deep-sea technology, digital preservation, and historical discovery.