A screen grab of the the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA®) for the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: ERMA®

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today they are partnering to enhance the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) for the Arctic region by summer 2012. ERMA is the same interactive online mapping tool used by federal responders during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This effort will help address numerous challenges in the Arctic where increasing ship traffic and proposed energy development are increasing the risk of oil spills and chemical releases.

“This emergency response tool was invaluable when managing the Deepwater Horizon response,” said BSEE Director James A. Watson, who served as the federal on-scene coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard during the disaster. “Adding this tool to the Arctic region would provide a tremendous boost to the current oil spill response capabilities there. We are very pleased to work with NOAA to provide this enhanced capability to those involved in planning and response activities.”

“Launching this tool for responders, media and the public during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a groundbreaking technical achievement and one of the most significant contributions NOAA provided to the historic, large-scale response,” said Monica Medina, NOAA principal deputy under secretary for oceans and atmosphere. “Reconfiguring this application to meet the needs of responders in the remote marine Arctic environment could prove to be the most critical tool in effectively preparing for, responding to, and mitigating situations where limited assets, personnel and facilities exist. We appreciate the Department of the Interior’s willingness to support us in this important effort.”

In developing this project for the Arctic NOAA, with support from BSEE, will work with state, local and Indigenous communities as well as academia and industry to share information  on how ERMA can best support an emergency response and protect the region’s unique lifestyle and resources.

ERMA will bring together all of the available information needed for an effective emergency response in the Arctic. In an emergency situation, ERMA is equipped with near real-time oceanographic observations and weather data from NOAA, and critical information from BSEE and numerous other federal and state response agencies. Responders can further customize the tool with environmental, logistical, and operational data such as fishery closure areas, resources at risk maps, and mariner notices, depending on the need.

ERMA integrates and synthesizes real-time and static data into a single interactive map, providing a quick visualization of the situation and improving communication and coordination among responders and environmental stakeholders.

NOAA originally began developing Arctic ERMA® to address escalating energy exploration and transportation activity in the region combined with the emerging risk of spills and other accidents.

BSEE is partnering with NOAA to complete the project, with the goal of having the tool available to the response community ahead of any future drilling in federal waters offshore Alaska. When operational, Arctic ERMA® will contain information such as the extent and concentration of sea ice, locations of ports and pipelines, and vulnerable environmental resources for spill responders to make rapid, science-informed response decisions.

The Gulf ERMA was developed through a joint partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center. The Gulf  ERMA was designed by NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Since 2007, NOAA and the University of New Hampshire’s Coastal Response Research Center have worked with hazardous material response agencies and partners throughout the United States to develop, test and refine the ERMA® application to meet the needs of various regions. ERMA® sites are also in developmental or testing phases for New England, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands and Pacific Northwest.

The public can view the tool online, which currently covers the Gulf of Mexico region, by visiting http://gomex.erma.noaa.gov/erma.html.

Today’s announcement is part of the ongoing efforts of the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska, which was established by President Obama in July 2011. Chaired by Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes, the working group coordinates the efforts of federal agencies responsible for overseeing the safe and responsible development of onshore and offshore energy in Alaska. The group’s goal is to improve the federal government’s efficiency, ensuring that resource development projects in Alaska comply with health, safety, and environmental protection standards while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. For more information, go to: http://www.doi.gov/alaskaenergy

Via BSEE

NOAA will use the data to update nautical charts to help mariners safely navigate this  important but sparsely charted region, which is now seeing increased vessel traffic because of the significant loss of  Arctic sea ice.

Over the next two months, Fairweather will conduct hydrographic surveys covering 402 square nautical miles of navigationally significant waters in Kotzebue Sound, a regional distribution hub in northwestern Alaska in the Arctic Circle.

“The reduction in Arctic ice coverage is leading over time to a growth of vessel traffic in the Arctic, and this growth is driving an increase in maritime concerns,” explained NOAA Corps Capt. David Neander, commanding officer of the Fairweather. “Starting in 2010, we began surveying in critical Arctic areas where marine transportation dynamics are changing rapidly. These areas are increasingly transited by the offshore oil and gas industry, cruise liners, military craft, tugs and barges, and fishing vessels.”

Fairweather and her survey launches are equipped with state-of-the-art acoustic technology to measure ocean depths, collect 3-D imagery of the seafloor, and detect underwater hazards that could pose a danger to surface vessels. The ship itself will survey the deeper waters, while the launches work in shallow areas.

The city of Kotzebue, located on the shores of Kotzebue Sound at the tip of Baldwin Peninsula, serves as a supply hub for eleven Arctic villages and cannot currently accommodate deep draft vessels. Those vessels must now anchor 15 miles offshore, and cargo is brought to shore by shallow draft barges. This summer’s survey will also address a request for bathymetry to support navigation and installation for an offshore lightering facility used for heating and fuel oil. An up-to-date NOAA chart, using data acquired from surveys with modern high-resolution sonar technology, can improve the efficiency – and safety – at this important location.

Modern U.S. navigational charts are the best in the world, and are updated regularly by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. However, they are only as good as the data available, and many of the soundings on today’s Arctic charts were acquired in the 1800’s with a weighted lead line, an antiquated technique. In addition to surveying critical areas with modern multibeam sonar technologies, NOAA has initiated a major effort to update nautical charts that are inadequate for today’s needs, such as the deep draft vessels looking to exploit an open trade route through the Arctic. NOAA’s Arctic Nautical Charting Plan, issued last month, prioritizes charts that need updating.

“NOAA’s Arctic surveys and charting plan identify the additional hydrographic coverage necessary to support a robust maritime transportation infrastructure in the coastal areas north of the Aleutian Islands,” said NOAA Corps Capt. Doug Baird, chief of NOAA’s Marine Chart Division in the Office of Coast Survey. “With the resources we have available, we are building the foundation to meet the burgeoning demands of ocean activities around Alaska’s waterways.”

Fairweather, one of NOAA’s three ships dedicated to hydrographic surveying, is part of the NOAA fleet of research ships operated, managed and maintained by NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, which includes commissioned officers of the NOAA Corps, one of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and civilian wage mariners. The public can track the ship’s progress by visiting the NOAA Ship Tracker.

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, originally formed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, updates the nation’s nautical charts, surveys the coastal seafloor, responds to maritime emergencies and searches for underwater obstructions and wreckage that pose a danger to navigation.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.

On the Web:
NOAA’s Arctic Nautical Charting Plan:
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/docs/Arctic_Nautical_Charting_Plan.pdf

NOAA’s Hydrographic Survey Priorities (See “Projects for 2011”):
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/hsd/hydrog.htm

Source: NOAA

Today, June 21st, is World Hydrography Day, a day to recognize our ocean surveyors.  Check out this video from Mary Glackin, NOAA’s Deputy Under Secretary, as she explains how hydrography supports the U.S. economy, keeps mariners safe, and protects our coastal communities and ecosystems.

The Above graphic shows the propagation of the recent Tsunami as it moved across the pacific. Click HERE for more tsunami graphics and video from NOAA.

From the gCaptain archives…

Here at gCaptain, we are a big fan of maps and when you came across this one, we couldn’t help but to post here on the blog.

The above map, created by researchers at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, and the World Bank, plots the remotest places on Earth (shown in darker shades of red).

The maps are based on a model which calculated how long it would take to travel to the nearest city of 50,000 or more people by land or water. The model combines information on terrain and access to road, rail and river networks. It also considers how factors such as altitude, steepness of terrain and hold-ups like border crossings slow travel.

While the map is pretty typical to what one would expect, there are some unexpected surprises.

In the Amazon, for example, extensive river networks and an increasing number of roads mean that only 20 per cent of the land is more than two days from a city – around the same proportion as Canada’s Quebec province.

You can read the full article at NewScientist.com and be sure to let us know what struck you in the comments section.  Of course, click on the map above for a larger image.

Tsunami Event – October 25, 2010 Mentawai, Indonesia

The Indonesia tsunami event was generated by a Mw 7.7 earthquake (3.484°S, 100.114°E ), at 14:42:22 UTC, 240 km (150 miles) W of Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia (according to the USGS). In a little under 2 hours, the tsunami was first recorded at DART® buoy 56001 and in a little under 3 hours, the tsunami was recorded at DART® buoy 56003. Forecast results shown below were created with the NOAA forecast method using MOST model with the tsunami source inferred from DART® data. The tsunami waves first arrived at Padang (approximately 270 Km from the earthquake epicenter ), at 15:47 UTC, about 65 minutes after the earthquake. The DART data and model inversion indicate that the tsunami may be larger than the earthquake magnitude of 7.7 suggests.

Modeling Results Links

• Energy propagation pattern of the  October 25, 2010 tsunami calculated with MOST forecast model. Filled colors show maximum computed tsunami amplitude in cm during 24 hours of wave propagation. Black contours show computed tsunami arrival time.
• Propagation animation

Model results comparison with sea level data Links

• Model comparison with Tide Gage data at Padang
• Model comparison with DART® buoy 56001
• Google map access to model – sea level data comparison plots

[Source NOAA]

U.S. Coast Survey cartographers traveled with Union forces to produce battlefield maps during the Civil War (Map of the Battlefield of Chickamauga). Credit: NOAA

In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War next year, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has released “Charting a More Perfect Union”, an extensive collection of Civil War-era maps, nautical charts, and documents that were prepared by the U.S. Coast Survey during war  years (1861-1865).  A statement issued by NOAA tell us:

Coast Survey’s collection includes 394 Civil War-era maps, including nautical charts used for naval campaigns, and maps of troop movements and battlefields. Rarely seen publications include Notes on the Coast, prepared by Coast Survey to help Union forces plan naval blockades against the Confederacy, and the annual report summaries by Superintendent Bache as he detailed the trials and tribulations of producing the maps and charts needed to meet growing military demands.

In the nation’s early years, the United States lost more ships to accidents than to war. In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson established the Survey of the Coast to produce the nautical charts necessary for maritime safety, defense and the establishment of national boundaries. By 1861, Coast Survey was the government’s leading scientific agency, charting coastlines and determining land elevations for the nation. Today, the Office of Coast Survey still meets its maritime responsibilities as a part of NOAA, surveying America’s coasts and producing the nation’s nautical charts. Keep Reading

In addition to maps and nautical charts, the collection features U.S. Coast Survey supervisor Alexander Dallas Bache’s annual Notes on the Coast of the United States, a series of secret reports used by the Union Army covering the Delaware Bay to the Mississippi Sound that contributed to the success of the Union blockading squadrons.

The entire Civil War collection, with over 400 documents, can be viewed at the Office of Coast Survey website.

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.

This map from worldmapper.org uses relative size to show proportion of all shipping containers being loaded and unloaded in each country.

There are more shipping containers loaded and unloaded off the coasts and rivers of China, than travel to or from all other territories put together. It is in China that more than three-quarters of this activity takes place. The majority of China’s shipping by implication appears to be ‘domestic’. The rest of the world put together only handles a third of what China handles. Thus at least half of all container shipping in the world involves China. The ships may bring goods to serve the domestic Chinese market, they may transport part-finished goods along the Chinese coast or down-river, or goods could simply be being transferred between container ships in a Chinese port. worldmapper.org.