Magnetic imaging of shipwrecks

Abstract

The ferromagnetic material in a shipwreck on the seabed causes a modification to the earth's magnetic field which can be measured at the surface. Proton magnetometer measurements at the surface are used to locate wrecks. Here I discuss how to interpret such data to explore the shape and orientation of the shipwreck on the seabed. I give details of how to model shipwrecks and deduce the magnetic signal that results. I also discuss how to analyse data in a more general way. As examples, I present and analyse data on the shipwrecks of YSTROOM and BOUBOULINA (ex COLONEL LAMB).