Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are a very effective way of visually communicating the height of an object. As the colours shift from red (shallow) to blue (deep) the elevation or depth of an object like a wreck on the seabed is quickly understood. With the photogrammetry survey of the SS Thistlegorm extending over 5 acres we can see exactly how the depth water over the ship changes:
With the 3D model built, it is possible to create a single, massive scaled and GPS referenced 2D image of the site – an ortho photo. In the case of the SS Thistlegorm we have 5:
The time is 01:30am on the 6th October 2017. This marks the 76th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Thistlegorm, and the launch of ‘The Thistlegorm Project’.
An ongoing underwater archaeological survey project recording the remains of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck in the Red Sea, using cutting edge digital techniques to raise awareness of the wreck and to help ensure it preservation for future generations.