Latest news with #AnnaMichel
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
108-year-old submarine wreck seen in stunning detail in new footage
In 1917, two US submarines collided off the coast of San Diego and submarine USS F-1 sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, along with 19 crew members aboard. The horrible accident, whose wreckage was discovered in 1975, represents the US Naval Submarine Force's first wartime submarine loss. Now, researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have captured new footage of the 1,300 feet-deep underwater archaeological site. 'They were technical dives requiring specialized expertise and equipment,' Anna Michel, a co-lead of the expedition and chief scientist at the National Deep Submergence Facility, said in a statement. 'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve.' The high-definition imagining and mapping of the USS F-1 took place during a deep-sea training and engineering mission in February and March. The missions aimed to train future submersible pilots and test the human-occupied vehicle Alvin and autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry. The team captured never-seen-before images and videos and conducted a sonar survey, which essentially consists of mapping a region by shooting sound waves at it and registering the echo. Imaging specialists combined the 2D images into a 3D model of the wreck—a technique called photogrammetry. Using photogrammetry reveals measurements not just of the submarine but of the marine life that over the past century has claimed the vessel as its own. 'As a Navy veteran, making this dive—together with another Navy veteran and a Navy historian—was a solemn privilege,' said Office of Naval Research Program Officer Rob Sparrock, who was in Alvin when it went down to the wreck. 'There was time to contemplate the risks that all mariners, past and present, face. It also reminded me of the importance of these training dives, which leverage the knowledge from past dives, lessons learned and sound engineering.' [ Related: An exclusive look inside where nuclear subs are born. ] The researchers also investigated a Navy torpedo bomber training aircraft that went down in the region in 1950. After the dives, they held a remembrance ceremony aboard the research vessel Atlantis during which a bell rang once for each of the crew members lost in 1917. 'History and archaeology are all about people and we felt it was important to read their names aloud,' said Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeologist Brad Krueger, who also dove in Alvin. 'The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Deep-sea technology captures images of WWI submarine, 100 years after it sank near San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A team of researchers captured high-definition pictures of a sunken World War I-era U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of San Diego, over a century after it was lost at sea. The USS F-1 was involved in a training accident eight days before Christmas Day in 1917, which killed all 19 crew members on board. Three La Jolla homes designated 'historic' by San Diego board With the help of advanced deep-sea imaging technology, researchers were able to capture high-quality images of the submarine's wreckage, discovered more than 1,300 feet under the ocean's surface just west of San Diego. Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) dispatched a human-operated submersible called Alvin and another underwater vehicle called Sentry, both belonging to the National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF), to capture the images. (See images below) 'While these depths were well within the dive capability for Alvin and Sentry, they were technical dives requiring specialized expertise and equipment,' said Anna Michel, co-lead of the expedition and NDSF chief scientist. The team conducted surveys of the submarine using sonar systems on Sentry and a research vessel, Atlantis. They also surveyed the wreckage of a Navy Avenger torpedo bomber that crashed near the area where the USS F-1 sank. 'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve,' Michel stated. A remembrance ceremony later took place onboard Atlantis to commemorate the lives lost during the submersible's training accident 100 years ago. A bell was rung 19 times in honor of each crew member lost at sea, according to a news release by the institution. 'As a Navy veteran, making this dive—together with another Navy veteran and a Navy historian—was a solemn privilege,' said ONR Program Officer Rob Sparrock, who was among those on board the Alvin. 'Lasting nearly eight hours, there was time to contemplate the risks that all mariners, past and present, face.' The surveys and high-definition images of the USS F-1 were gathered with the assistance of the Office of Naval Research, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System, Naval History and Heritage Command and WHOI. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lost WWI submarine captured in never-before-seen images off the California coast
A World War I submarine wreck off the coast of Southern California has been captured for the first time in new video and images made possible using advanced deep-sea imaging technology. The sunken U.S. Navy vessel now resting on the San Diego seafloor is known as the USS F-1. F-class submarines were based in the Pacific, serving at Hawaii and off California. The F-1 was lost at sea following an accidental collision on December 17, 1917, resulting in the death of 19 crew members. While others were rescued, the submarine sank in just 10 seconds. It was found again nearly 60 years later, according to the Submarine Force Library and Museum Association. The high-definition images of the over a century-old submarine were taken in February and March, when researchers at the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution used a human-occupied vehicle called 'Alvin' and the autonomous underwater vehicle named 'Sentry' to travel down 1,300 feet below the surface of the Pacific waters. 'Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub,' WHOI's Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the sub's senior pilot, said in a statement. 'As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin.' The mission also included team members from the Navy, the Naval History and Heritage Command, and the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation completed surveys of the submarine using video cameras, imaging systems on Alvin, as well as sonar systems on Sentry and the research vessel Atlantis. They also examined a Navy torpedo bomber training aircraft that crashed near the same location in 1950. The sonar on Atlantic and Sentry was used to produce maps of the wreck and seafloor, while Alvin's cameras captured images of the wreck that was stitched into models capable of measuring the sub and the marine life it now supports. Researchers were also able to reconstruct the F-1 and create a three-dimensional model. The dives were part of a previously planned training and engineering mission to give pilots-in-training time to hone their skills and to allow for the development of new technology. 'While these depths were well within the dive capability for Alvin and Sentry, they were technical dives requiring specialized expertise and equipment,' Anna Michel, the co-lead of the expedition, said. 'We were careful and methodical in surveying these historical sites so that we could share these stunning images, while also maintaining the reverence these sites deserve.' Following the dives, they held a remembrance ceremony on Atlantic, ringing a bell for each of the service members lost at sea. 'History and archaeology are all about people and we felt it was important to read their names aloud," said Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeologist Brad Krueger. It was his first in-person dive on a historical wreck site. "The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered.'
