Landsat-8 image taken in 2013 of shipwreck sites off the coast of Belgium. Credit: HIGHROC

Discovering otherwise undetected shipwrecks scattered throughout the oceans could shed light on previously lost history

By Charles Q. Choi on February 12, 2016 (in Scientific American)

Ancient shipwrecks might not only hold buried treasures, but also countless historical secrets. Now researchers suggest satellites could help spot submerged wrecks that might otherwise go undiscovered.

More than three million shipwrecks may be scattered across the oceans,UNESCO estimates. “Of all the wrecks in the world, maybe less than 10 percent have been found,” says James Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Any technology that enables us to pinpoint wrecks is a step in the right direction.”

Read the full story in the Scientific American website: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/satellites-could-help-discover-modern-and-ancient-shipwrecks/