Modeling long-term corrosion through examination of wrecks

Seas and oceans around the world are huge reservoirs of cultural heritage, of such a nature that as a result they should be considered the world's largest museum. Researching the condition of these wrecks is important for three reasons.

First, North Sea shipwrecks are of historical importance since they serve as a memorial and resting place for the many crews and soldiers who died defending their country.

In addition, the more we know about these wrecks, the more information can be used to valorize the collection, including opening the sites to tourist visits by recreational divers in the future.

At the same time, these wrecks offer a long-term perspective: how quickly do metal structures corrode underwater and what stages does this corrosion go through? The study of wreck corrosion thus contributes to understanding the corrosion of structures that must be submerged in seawater for long periods of time, what accelerates and retards this corrosion, and how they can be protected. This includes windmills, oil rigs ... It also includes marine dumping sites of munitions from the World Wars.