JRC reveals global traffic routes using LRIT ship tracking data

The video shows the main traffic routes followed at global scale by ships flying the flag of States contributing to the EU Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) Cooperative Data Centre (CDC): all EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and Overseas Territories of EU Member States*.

The LRIT vessel positions are refreshed every 6 hours and reconstructed every hour using the European Commission Joint Research Centre's “Blue Hub” technology.
The video covers a period of one month, giving a first insight into the potential of the data for performing statistical and other analysis of maritime transport routes of vessels flying EU LRIT CDC flags.

The LRIT vessel positions can be polled over delimited areas by operational authorities in specific circumstances such as for Search and Rescue. In these cases, there appear also data from States not participating in the EU LRIT CDC, leading to flashing spotlights in the animation (e.g. in the Atlantic Ocean or in the Mediterranean Sea).

Further information:
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/scientific-tool/blue-hub-rd-platform-maritime-surveillance-and-maritime-situational-awareness?search

*Access to the data was granted by the National Competent Authorities for LRIT of States participating in the EU LRIT CDC through the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).‎

Cities, towns, shipping routes, global roads and air networks are all changing Earth.
This video shows the extent of this change.