We recently had to map out all ship types for a client of Unofficial Networks, the maritime consulting arm of gCaptain.  This is only the first draft so I’m sure we forgot a few (let us know in the comments section) and there are debates in regards to some of the categories but we thought you would be interested in this visualization of the data. Click HERE to download the full sized version.

The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, will use 15 cutting edge instruments, a Global Hawk UAV, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 and a Martin WB-57F Canberra to gain a new look at how hurricanes form, strengthen, and weaken. This will be NASA’s first major US-based hurricane field campaign since 2001.

This August and September, NASA is leading an aircraft campaign that will provide a sustained and unprecedented look at the inner workings of hurricane formation and intensification. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment will take place from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30 and employ three NASA aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea to try to answer some of the basic but still lingering questions about how and why hurricanes form and strengthen.

NASA has flown over hurricanes before to gather data on precipitation, winds, convection, temperature and other factors that are known cyclone ingredients. The logistical demands of doing so have only allowed for two to four hours of data collection at a time, a snapshot of a storm that could spin for days. But for the first time, scientists will fly an unmanned drone, outfitted with 3-D radar, a microwave radiometer and other instruments over tropical systems for up to 20 consecutive hours. NASA.gov

So, just how transparent is BP with online media?

Today the third set of Deepwater Horizon hearings came to a conclusion when, unexpectedly, an e-mail message came through “Your Flight has been delayed to 10pm”. So, I decided to pay a surprise visit to BP’s Incident Command Post (ICP). Sure I could have called ahead, but I didn’t want a media tour. No, I wanted to investigated how busy the place was on a Friday night. I wanted to see the stack of coffee cups, broken pencils and other archaeological remnants of human activity.

So, In a brand new (rented) Dodge Charger I made a quick search for the BP ICP address on my iPhone, plugged it into the GPS and, 50 minutes later, pulled off the highway to be greeted by a large and modern complex of buildings with a huge, illuminated BP logo. This must be the place! …right?

Pulling up to the parking lot I was greeted by a young and cheerful security guard who took my ID, asked me to pull around to let traffic by, and proceeded to call his Lieutenant. Then a golf cart zoomed my way to lead me to the best parking space at the main entrance. A welcoming smile, prime parking and hope for the kind of transparency that journalists pine for… I was truly impressed and wondered to myself how BP could possible get so much bad press considering they where being so open and honest. but then the Lieutenant arrived.

Have you ever stopped to make an honest inquiry about the legality of, say, jaywalking, only to be faced by a cop who has no desire to answer questions but is clear in his intent to remove you physically if you pursue the line of questioning? And that’s what happened to me today when I asked:

• Me: “Is this the Incident command post?” Him: “What is done here is top secret.”
• Me: “I’m a maritime journalist who blogs about the Coast Guard, is their a USCG representative I can talk to?” Him: “I can not confirm or deny the presence of anyone working in this building!”
• Me: “Who do I need to talk to before I may enter the building?” Him: “Do you have a badge, like this (lifting up his badge for me to see)”
• Me: “Well no, how do I get one” Him: “You don’t unless you call someone in the building”
• Me:”Can you give me the number of a Coast Guardsman in the building?” Him: “I can not confirm or deny the presence of anyone working in this building!”
• Him: “Have a nice day sir (pointing to my car)” Me:”Ok, later”

So what I had hoped would be a positive blog post about the transparency of BP, the hard work BP’s doing late on a Friday night, and the professionalism of its representatives. Instead I have is this dumb story, confusion about the top secrecy of a building I found via google and a single question to gCaptain readers; “WTF BP?

UPDATE: After leaving the general vicinity and typing this article, I called the Joint Information hotline to plead my case. The duty officer informed me that an immediate visit would not be possible but that he would fast-track the request Early the next afternoon gCaptain did receive a phone call from a CG representative at the ICP inviting us to schedule a tour. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time left to visit before I needed to be at the airport.

UPDATE 2: It seems that BP has been caught photoshopping images of inside the command center.

2010 Submarine Cable Map

TeleGeography’s popular Submarine Cable Map has been fully updated for 2010. The latest edition of our map depicts 111 of the world’s major submarine cable systems and 19 planned systems that are due to enter service by 2011. www.telegeography.com

“The United States consumes more than 20,000,000 barrels of oil per day but has less than 2 percent of the world’s remaining oil”

This map, produced by BP’s Statistical Review division, shows countries based on known crude oil reserves. The larger the country, the more reserve capacity. The map also gives mariners working offshore an idea where jobs opportunities may arise in the coming years. Click on the map for the large Hi-Resolution version.

Today, NOAA has launched an exciting new web tool that offers the general public a glimpse into the information responders to the Gulf Oil Spill are receiving.  Among a number of interactive mapping features, the site offers near-real time (updated approximately every 10 minutes) AIS data from the vessels supporting the largest oil spill response and recovery operation in U.S. history. Using this website, the public gains access into crucial information about the oil spill response. NOAA tells us more:

Originally designed for responders, who make operational decisions, to the oil spill disaster, http://www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse (LINK) integrates the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory, fishery closed areas, wildlife and place-based Gulf Coast resources — such as pinpointed locations of oiled shoreline and daily position of research ships — into one customizable interactive map.

The launch of the public site is designed to facilitate communication and coordination among a variety of users — from federal, state and local responders to local community leaders and the public — the site is designed to be fast, user-friendly and constantly updated.

The site employs the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®), a web-based GIS platform developed through a joint partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center, and includes data from Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Fish and Wildlife Service, EPA, NASA , U.S. Geological Survey and the Gulf states.  The site will serve as the official federal source for map-based data.

Check out the tool for yourself at http://www.GeoPlatform.gov/gulfresponse (LINK) and let us know what you think in the comments.

Special thanks to Kurt Schwehr of UNH for finally spilling the beans on this (oh and thanks for the image). You can read more about this technology  HERE.

This post is brought to us by Peter Mello of Sea-fever.org (via NOAA), in two seperate installments.  The first post a map of Ocean Energy Distribution Map from Chile Earthquake Tsunami (shown above).  Peter writes:

8.2-foot tsunami wave expected to strike Hilo, Hawaii 11:05 a.m. local time (4:05 p.m. ET) according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Tsunami advisory extended to Oregon, Washington, parts of Alaska, coastal British Colombia by West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

Here is the map of the Chilean earthquake and aftershocks from the USGS.

Peter then follows up with the following;

This post of NOAA’s Wave Energy Distribution Map (computer modeled) was a very popular Sea-Fever post over the weekend.

If you think that graphic was impressive, the below animation will definitely rock your boat.

Our decision was to give the matter some time and solicit an article about the effects of tsunami’s on ships, possible including a sea story or two. Until that happens, however, we wanted to share one of our favorite aspects of environmental disaster… infographics.

Wikipedia tells us that “Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly[1], such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. They are also used extensively as tools by computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians to ease the process of developing and communicating conceptual information.” But more clearly they can be described as the amazing drawings newspapers and magazines use to lure in readers.

So here are the best examples of infographics to help you learn more about tsunami’s and Tidal Waves. Click on the images for the full sized versions. Enjoy!

Yesterday’s Tsunami – Samoa

The Threat Of Tsunami Waves To San Francisco, California

The Asian Tsunami Explained – NYTimes

What Causes A Tsunami

How A Tsunami Wave Forms

How High Is A Tsunami Wave?

USAToday’s Natural Disaster Map

International Tsunami Graphics

NOAA’s DART Tsunami Warning Buoy System

*Ugly But Effective Infographics

Indonesia’s Tsunami Warning System

Towering Tidal Waves

*Infographic Tsunami Videos

Tsunami Infographic – The Movie

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Tsunami Links:

• BBC – Asia Tsunami Disaster Explained
• Indonesian Tsunami Animated PIC
• Asian Tsunami Impact Zones
• How The Wave Spreads – The Guardian
• The Tsunami That Hit New York City
• Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting Of Tsunamis (DART) Infographic
• List Of Tsunami Infographics
• Tsunami Models – NOAA
• Discovery Channel Tsunami Videos

The English Channel is the busiest shipping lane in the world: on a typical day over 400 vessels travel through the Dover Straits. In a new series titled Britain From Above the BBC Archive has gathered together more than 60 years of broadcasting from the air. Watch as cities grow, motorways are introduced and the sea continues to batter the coast. The aerial recordings provide a glimpse into the history and modern day existence of Britain’s transportation infrastructure.

The BBC tells us:

For BBC One, the Britain From Above team have harnessed cutting edge, previously unseen GPS and satellite data brought to life using the best CGI technology to graphically illustrate: the movement of every plane flying over Britain within a 24 hour period; the trace of a fleet of London taxis traversing Central London; the movement of every ship over 300 tonnes passing through the English Channel in a day; the movement of rubbish trucks in Westminster; the geographical activity of telephone exchanges as they are made in real time; the internet connections originating in Britain and spanning across the whole globe; and, aerial thermal imaging shots of deer and other wildlife on Lulworth Range.

In an official statement the Paris MOU writes:

At its 42nd meeting last month, the Paris MoU Committee approved the 2008 inspection results and adopted new performance lists for flag States and Recognized Organizations. These lists will take effect from 1 July 2009.

The “Black List” for 2009 contains 21 flags States, two more than last year. The 2008 “White List” includes 41 flag States, three more than last year.

A “hard core” of flag States remain on the “Black List”. Most of the flags that were considered “very high risk” in 2007 have retained this ranking. The poorest performing flags are still Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Bolivia and Albania. New on the “Black List” are Libya, Moldova and Dominica.

The following is a visualization showing each flag state. The bubbles are sized by total number of port state detentions between the years 2006 and 2008 but do not take into account the total number of ships registered by each flag:

Paris MOU Targeting Lists FAQ

What is the Paris MOU?

It is clearly understood that the responsibility for ensuring that ships comply with the provisions of the relevant instruments rests upon the owners, masters and the flag States. Unfortunately, certain flag States, for various reasons, fail to fulfil their commitments contained in agreed international legal instruments and subsequently some ships are sailing the world’s seas in an unsafe condition, threatening the lives of all those on board as well as the marine environment. The Paris MOU on Port State control is a system of harmonized inspection procedures designed to target sub-standards ships with the main objective being their eventual elimination.

What does the Paris MOU do?

The Paris MOU on Port State Control is the official document in which the 27 participating Maritime Authorities agree to implement a harmonized system of Port State Control.

The MOU consists of a the main body in which the Authorities agree on

• their commitments and the relevant international conventions
• the inspection procedures and the investigation of operational procedures
• the exchange of information
• the structure of the organization and amendment procedures

Are any US ships currently being detained?

Yes, according to the Current Detention Database the US Flagged tugboat GALE FORCE, owned by EJ VENTURES, is being held in The Netherlands.

What do the different list colors mean?

Flags with an average performance are shown on the “Grey List”. Their appearance on this list may act as an incentive to improve and move to the “White List”. At the same time flags at the lower end of the “Grey List” should be careful not to neglect control over their ships and risk ending up on the “Black List” next year. Lithuania, Turkey and Japan moved up from “Grey” to “White”. Iran and the United States moved down from “White” to “Grey”.

The “White List” represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record. Bermuda (UK), France, and the United Kingdom are placed highest in terms of performance.

What are the implications?

A flag’s ranking is taken into account when targeting ships for inspection and ships flying flags listed on the “Black list” are liable for banning from the region after multiple detentions. A good ranking on the Paris MoU list is regarded as an industry standard and is used as an indicator of the quality of a state flag.