тιтanic’s deteriorating bow over the past 37 years: Devastating images snapped by underwater robots show just how rapidly the famous liner is breaking apart

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 pictures reveal how the тιтanic's iconic bow has decayed in the 37 years between 1987 and 2010

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.’

For the last 110 years, the wreck of the тιтanic has lain 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada

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.

This railing was made famous by the scenes starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose in the 1997 film тιтanic (pictured)

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.

Much of the ship is currently still intact but experts warn that the wrought iron rivets holding it together are eroding extremely fast

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.

Constant visits to the тιтanic wreck site may be accelerating the ship's demise as changes to the water column push and pull the fragile structure

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.

The тιтanic's mild steel plating has survived well due to the cold and darkness at the bottom of the ocean, but experts say it is now more fragile than it appears

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.

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