Titanic the True Story Behind the Titanic's Historic Discovery

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Video MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

Undercover History: Titanic The True Story Behind the Titanic's Historic Discovery

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Think you know the story behind the discovery of the Titanic? Think again. Robert Ballard, the man who co- discovered the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic in 1985, reveals the circumstances behind one of his most amazing discoveries: a secret Navy mission in search of two sunken Cold War submarines. QUESTIONS

What was unexpected about how the Thresher wreckage lay on the bottom of the ocean? Rather than coming to rest in one spot, the wreckage of the Thresher was spread out across a wide area on the ocean floor in a debris field.

What did Robert Ballard learn about debris fields from the discovery of the Scorpion? Ballard figured out that debris fields were created when ocean currents carried the lighter parts of the wreckage away from the initial location of the trauma. How many days did Robert Ballard have to locate the Titanic? After studying Thresher and Scorpion, Robert Ballard had 12 days to attempt to find Titanic. When did the team know they had located the Titanic? The team knew when they went over the ship's boiler. Using his newfound knowledge from his investigations of Thresher and Scorpion, how did Robert Ballard approach his hunt for the Titanic? Ballard knew to look for the Titanic's debris trail since he knew the ship had broken up when it sank.

VOCABULARY

Term Part of Speech Definition

Cold War noun (1947-1991) conflict between the Soviet Union (and its allies) and the United States (and its allies). The two sides never confronted each other directly.

debris noun remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage.

field work noun scientific studies done outside of a lab, classroom, or office.

ocean noun large body of salt water that covers most of the Earth.

oceanography noun study of the ocean.

1 of 2 sonar noun method of determining the presence and location of an object using sound waves (echolocation).

Soviet Union noun (1922-1991) large northern Eurasian nation that had a communist government. Also called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR.

Titanic noun luxury cruise ship that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912.

triangulation noun method of determining distance or placement of two points by calculating their distance from a third point whose position is known.

For Further Exploration

Articles & Profiles National Geographic Explorers: Robert Ballard, Ocean Explorer National Geographic Magazine: Why is Titanic Vanishing? Images National Geographic: Discovering the Titanic

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