Even after a century beneath the water, the тιтanic’s bow remains one of the most magnificent and haunting sights in the ocean.
However, a new survey of the wreck site has revealed that the railing, made famous by Jack and Rose, has now collapsed into rust.
Haunting images snapped by underwater robots through the years show the great ship’s bow has gradually eroded.
Experts say that its metal construction and frequent human visits mean it is only a matter of time before the тιтanic collapses.
Dr Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz, archaeological data manager for HMS Victory and maritime archaeologist from the University of Southampton, told MailOnline: ‘The realistic view is that because she’s such a big metal object, she won’t be there for very long.’
Earlier this week, RMS тιтanic Inc, the company which holds the salvage rights for the ship, released new images and footage of the sunken liner.
Videos and images recorded by Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) captured shocking evidence of just how fast the ship was deteriorating.
Most noticeably, a 4.5m (15ft) section of the front railing appeared to have vanished from the bow of the boat.
Later, 3D scans of the surrounding area revealed that the rail had collapsed and fallen as one piece to the ocean floor.
The тιтanic sank to its current resting place on April 15, 1912 – leading to the deaths of 1,500 pᴀssengers and crew.
Since then, it has remained almost unchanged at 3,800 metres (12,500ft) beneath the waves at a site off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
An expedition to the тιтanic site this summer revealed that the railings made famous by Jack and Rose in the film had collapsed at some point in the last two years.
When explorers first located the wreck in 1985, they were shocked to discover that the front railing and bow of the great ship were still remarkably well preserved.
However, as these pictures reveal, each subsequent expedition to the wreck has revealed more deterioration.
Dr Pacheco-Ruiz explains that the salty, oxygen-rich waters of the North Atlantic Ocean are particularly bad for the metal structure of the тιтanic.
As the metal is exposed to this chemically active environment, the iron in the ship oxidises and forms thick flakes of iron oxide.
Comparing the images taken in the 1990s to the one taken in 2010, you can see how long stalacтιтes of rust called ‘rusticles’ have built up on the railing.
