Tag: OCS

What’s the distinction between a nautical mile and a knot?

Homeported in Pascagoula, Mississippi, NOAA Ship Pisces is the third in a class of state-of-the-art, acoustically quiet fisheries survey vessels built for a wide range of living marine resource surveys and ecosystem research projects. The ship focuses primarily on U.S. waters from the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and South Atlantic to North Carolina.

The U.S. adopted the worldwide nautical mile in 1954. Proven right here: NOAA Ship Pisces is the third in a category of state-of-the-art, acoustically quiet fisheries survey vessels constructed for a variety of residing marine useful resource surveys and ecosystem analysis initiatives.

Nautical Miles

Nautical miles are used to measure the gap traveled by the water. A nautical mile is barely longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured (or statute) miles. The nautical mile relies on the Earth’s longitude and latitude coordinates, with one nautical mile equaling one minute of latitude.

However why use a unique measurement system for marine navigation? Utilizing latitude and longitude coordinates is extra sensible for long-distance journey, the place the curvature of the Earth turns into a think about correct measurement. Nautical charts use latitude and longitude, so it’s far simpler for mariners to measure distance with nautical miles. Air and house journey additionally use latitude and longitude for navigation and nautical miles to measure distance.

The phrase “mile” may depart you questioning if there’s a “nautical kilometer,” too. There’s not. The worldwide nautical mile is used all through the world. The measurement was formally set at precisely 1.852 kilometers in 1929 by what’s now referred to as the Worldwide Hydrographic Group. The U.S. and the UK each used barely completely different measurements after that point, however the U.S. adopted the worldwide nautical mile in 1954 and the U.Okay. in 1970.

Knots

animation showing the measurement of a know in historical terms

Measuring the knot within the seventeenth century.

Knots, alternatively, are used to measure pace. One knot equals one nautical mile per hour, or roughly 1.15 statute mph.

The time period knot dates from the seventeenth century, when sailors measured the pace of their ship utilizing a tool referred to as a “frequent log.” The frequent log was a rope with knots at common intervals, hooked up to a chunk of wooden formed like a slice of pie. Mariners would decrease the wooden piece into the water and permit it to drift freely behind the ship for a particular period of time (typically measured with an hourglass). When the time was up, they’d rely the knots between the ship and the piece of wooden, and that quantity estimated their pace.

What’s the distinction between an AUV and a ROV?

VIDEO: What is the distinction between an AUV and an ROV? Here is what it’s worthwhile to know in a single minute. Transcript

NOAA Ship Nancy Foster's Chief Boatswain Greg Walker and Bosun Group Leader James Best work with scientist Tim Battista to prepare the ocean glider for launch.

From left, NOAA Ship Nancy Foster’s Chief Boatswain Greg Walker and Bosun Group Chief James Finest work with scientist Tim Battista to arrange the ocean glider for launch.

AUV stands for autonomous underwater car and is often often called uncrewed underwater car. AUVs can be utilized for underwater survey missions akin to detecting and mapping submerged wrecks, rocks, and obstructions that may be a hazard to navigation for business and leisure vessels.

An AUV conducts its survey mission with out operator intervention. When a mission is full, the AUV will return to a pre-programmed location the place the info may be downloaded and processed.

A remotely operated car (ROV) is an unoccupied underwater robotic that’s linked to a ship by a collection of cables. These cables transmit command and management indicators between the operator and the ROV, permitting distant navigation of the car. An ROV might embrace a video digital camera, lights, sonar methods, and an articulating arm. The articulating arm is used for retrieving small objects, chopping traces, or attaching lifting hooks to bigger objects.

Whereas there are numerous makes use of for ROVs, among the most typical hydrographic purposes embrace object identification (for submerged navigation hazards) and vessel hull inspections. An ROV will not be meant to be a alternative for hydrographic diver investigations, however may serve as an alternative if divers aren’t obtainable or diver security is in query.

Video Transcript

Listed below are two uncrewed ocean explorers. Can you notice the distinction between the 2? One, an AUV or Autonomous Underwater Car, explores ocean depths with none connected cables. Researchers drop an AUV within the ocean decide it up at a pre-selected place. Like an AUV, a Remotely Operated Car is unmanned. The distinction is that an ROV is linked to a ship by cables. An individual on the ship “drives” it round. ROVs are sometimes used when diving by people is both impractical or harmful, akin to working in deep water or investigating submerged hazards. ROVs and AUVs carry gear like video cameras, lights, robotic arms to seize issues. By going the place people can’t go, these underwater robots assist us safely research the ocean.