Turanor Planetsolar: sailing the world on solar power

Research vessel Turanor Planetsolar is studying Gulf Stream currents

and role of ocean-generated aerosols

From GulfNews

Last year, after it became the first solar-powered boat to circumnavigate the globe, the Turanor Planetsolar could have taken its 5,500 square feet of photovoltaic cells and eight tons of lithium-ion batteries and sailed off into the sunset.

Instead it is becoming a scientific research ship, at least for the summer.

The boat, a 30-metre, $17 million (Dh62 million) catamaran that was dreamed up by a Swiss eco-adventurer and bankrolled by a German businessman, will cruise the Gulf Stream studying the role of atmospheric aerosols and phytoplankton in regulating climate, under the direction of Martin Beniston, a climatologist at the University of Geneva.

The research cruise, with five crew members and up to four researchers aboard, began in Miami several weeks ago and will stop in Newfoundland and Iceland as it tracks the northeasterly current. The voyage is expected to end in Bergen, Norway, in August.
Last week, the boat stopped in New York City for a few days on its way north.

The squat carbon-fibre craft, its wide and flat top deck dominated by the photovoltaic array, looked a bit out of place among the luxury yachts and other more conventional nautical playthings docked at a marina near the city’s financial district.

www.planetsolar.org

In some ways the boat is suited to research.

Being completely powered by the sun — the high-efficiency solar cells charge the batteries that power electric motors connected to the craft’s twin propellers — it produces no emissions of carbon dioxide or other gases that could contaminate air samples.

And the boat has no problem going slowly, if necessary, as it samples the water — average speed is a sluggish 5 knots.
“But clearly, it’s not a research vessel,” said Bastiaan Ibelings, a microbial ecologist at the University of Geneva who is working on the project.

The catamaran had to be outfitted with research equipment, including a “ferrybox,” originally developed for ferries in the Baltic Sea, that constantly records the temperature, salinity and other characteristics of the water the boat is passing through.

It also has a “biobox,” developed by the university’s applied physics department, which uses a laser to analyse the number and type of aerosols in air samples.
The issue of ocean-generated aerosols — solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere that can have an impact through cloud formation, reflection of sunlight and other processes — is a relatively new one in climate science, Beniston said.
“We suppose that the ocean must be a fairly large contributor” of aerosols through the action of waves and wind, he said, but their abundance and how different types are distributed are fairly unknown.

“Their exact role is still open to question,” he said.

 DeepWater project

The Gulf Stream is one of the most intensely studied ocean currents in the world, but Beniston’s plan is to examine some of its smaller-scale structures.

These include eddies, swirling offshoots of the current (which, although they are smaller in scale than the entire Gulf Stream, can still be 320km or more in diameter).
Eddies tend to have more upwelling of colder, deeper water than the Gulf Stream itself, so one goal is to see whether different water conditions produce different kinds of aerosols.

With his plankton research, Ibelings wants to see whether the water conditions in eddies result in greater or less biological diversity than elsewhere.

The modifications to the catamaran — which also included new propellers and some remodelling of living quarters to provide work space for the researchers — were undertaken at a French shipyard after the boat ended its 19-month, 60,000km circumnavigation in May 2012.

That voyage was intended more to demonstrate the general capabilities of solar energy than the practicality of solar-powered ships.

(After all, vessels powered efficiently by alternative energy have existed for centuries. They’re called sailboats.)
“It’s an ambassador for solar energy,” said Gerard d’Aboville, Planetsolar’s current captain.

“But I’d have to be crazy to say, let’s order 20 boats like this.”

Besides issues of cost and speed, Planetsolar poses some unique challenges.

In addition to wind, waves and current, d’Aboville must constantly consider the amount of sunlight hitting the photovoltaic cells, with the goal of keeping the batteries as charged as possible in case of a long stretch of cloudy weather.

(They can power the boat for about 72 hours when fully charged.)

This map (Adrena software) offers a three-day prediction of cloud cover.

Captain d'Aboville explains that when plotting trips "usually we take care of the sea, of the wind, and of the current.

But [here] we have to take care of the Sun." He adds, "usually we don't go from A to B… we try to avoid the clouds."

He has a laptop computer on which he gets detailed, and constantly updated, maps from France’s national meteorological agency, Météo-France, showing the potential solar gain (calculated by taking into consideration cloud cover and other factors).

If there’s a cloud on the horizon, he might decide to skirt it, figuring that he will gain more energy from the clearer skies than he’ll lose in making the detour.
“I have this new parameter of the sun, and it makes life interesting,” he said.

Links :

• WSJ :  Behind the Captain of sun-powered boat MS Turanor

Secret streets of Britain’s Atlantis revealed

3D visualisation of 'Britain's Atlantis'.

Credit University of Southampton

From NOC

Deep-sea oceanographers have been engaged in the most detailed analysis of the archaeological remains of the lost medieval town of Dunwich, dubbed ‘Britain’s Atlantis.’

Dr Tim Le-Bas, a sonar acoustics expert based at the National Oceanography Centre, translated the sonar readings into 3D high-resolution maps.

He said: “These 3D high-resolution maps are the first time we have seen these buildings in 750 years. Not only can we see the remains of the town we can also measure how the coastal erosion has impacted the buildings over the centuries.

"Working in the shallows of the North Sea was a challenge of a different dimension; I usually prepare 3D maps of ocean features several miles below the sea surface. Here the issue was that the water, although relatively shallow, was dirty brown due to lots of muddy particles in the water. It was impossible for divers to see the archaeological remains and thus we used ultra-high frequency sonar to view the features."

Dive to Britain's Atlantis

Funded and supported by English Heritage, and using advanced underwater imaging techniques, the project has produced the most accurate map to date of the town’s streets, boundaries and major buildings, and revealed new ruins on the seabed.

The project was led by the University of Southampton’s Professor David Sear of Geography and Environment.
He worked with a team from the University’s GeoData Institute; the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton; Wessex Archaeology; and local divers from North Sea Recovery and Learn Scuba

Carved stonework captured using DIDSON technology.

Credit University of Southampton

He comments, “Visibility under the water at Dunwich is very poor due to the muddy water. This has limited the exploration of the site.


“We have now dived on the site using high resolution DIDSON ™ acoustic imaging to examine the ruins on the seabed – a first use of this technology for non-wreck marine archaeology.


“DIDSON technology is rather like shining a torch onto the seabed, only using sound instead of light. The data produced helps us to not only see the ruins, but also understand more about how they interact with the tidal currents and sea bed.”

Peter Murphy, English Heritage’s coastal survey expert who is currently completing a national assessment of coastal heritage assets in England, says:
“The loss of most of the medieval town of Dunwich over the last few hundred years – one of the most important English ports in the Middle Ages – is part of a long process that is likely to result in more losses in the future.
Everyone was surprised, though, by how much of the eroded town still survives under the sea and is identifiable.
“Whilst we cannot stop the forces of nature, we can ensure what is significant is recorded and our knowledge and memory of a place doesn’t get lost forever."

Professor Sear and his team have developed techniques that will be valuable to understanding submerged and eroded terrestrial sites elsewhere.

 >>> geolocalization with the Marine GeoGarage <<<

”

Present day Dunwich is a village 14 miles south of Lowestoft in Suffolk, but it was once a thriving port – similar in size to 14th Century London. Extreme storms forced coastal erosion and flooding that have almost completely wiped out this once prosperous town over the past seven centuries. This process began in 1286 when a huge storm swept much of the settlement into the sea and silted up the Dunwich River. This storm was followed by a succession of others that silted up the harbour and squeezed the economic life out of the town, leading to its eventual demise as a major international port in the 15th Century. "
"It now lies collapsed and in ruins in a watery grave, three to ten metres below the surface of the sea, just off the present coastline.

"

Map reconstruction

Credit University of Southampton

The project to survey the underwater ruins of Dunwich, the world’s largest medieval underwater town site, began in 2008.
Six additional ruins on the seabed and 74 potential archaeological sites on the seafloor have since been found.
Combining all known archaeological data from the site, together with old charts and navigation guides to the coast, it has also led to the production of the most accurate and detailed map of the street layout and position of buildings, including the town’s eight churches.

   The University of Southampton says the new maps show

how Dunwich has been affected by coastal erosion

Findings highlights are:


• Identification of the limits of the town, which reveal it was a substantial urban centre occupying approximately 1.8 km2 – almost as large as the City of London

• Confirmation the town had a central area enclosed by a defensive, possibly Saxon earthwork, about 1 km2

• The documentation of ten buildings of medieval Dunwich, within this enclosed area, including the location and probable ruins of Blackfriars Friary, St Peter’s, All Saints' and St Nicholas Churches, and the Chapel of St Katherine

• Additional ruins which initial interpretation suggests are part of a large house, possibly the town hall

• Further evidence that suggests the northern area of the town was largely commercial, with wooden structures associated with the port

• The use of shoreline change analysis to predict where the coastline was located at the height of the town’s prosperity

Commenting on the significance of Dunwich, Professor Sear says: “It is a sobering example of the relentless force of nature on our island coastline.
It starkly demonstrates how rapidly the coast can change, even when protected by its inhabitants.

“Global climate change has made coastal erosion a topical issue in the 21st Century, but Dunwich demonstrates that it has happened before.
The severe storms of the 13th and 14th Centuries coincided with a period of climate change, turning the warmer medieval climatic optimum into what we call the Little Ice Age.

“Our coastlines have always been changing, and communities have struggled to live with this change. Dunwich reminds us that it is not only the big storms and their frequency – coming one after another, that drives erosion and flooding, but also the social and economic decisions communities make at the coast. In the end, with the harbour silting up, the town partly destroyed, and falling market incomes, many people simply gave up on Dunwich.”



Professor Sear’s full report can be found at: http://www.dunwich.org.uk/

Recreational boating is $121 Billion economic driver for U.S.

Economic significance of recreational boating in the US

From NMMA

New data show 88 million Americans expected to take to U.S. waterways this summer.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), announced that recreational boating in the U.S. has an annual economic value of $121 billion.
The industry’s rising tide supports 964,000 American jobs and 34,833 businesses, generates $40 billion in annual labor income and drives $83 billion in annual spending.

The NMMA, on behalf of the U.S. boating industry, released these findings as part of its annual U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, a collection of data and analysis on the state of the U.S. recreational boating industry.

Additional data highlights include:

New Boat Sales

Retail sales of new power and sailboats increased 10.7 percent in 2012 to 163,245, demonstrating a post-recession recovery for the industry.
(Note that this number includes inboard, outboard, sterndrive, jet and sail boats).
New powerboat (inboard, outboard, sterndrive and jet boat) sales increased 10 percent to 157,300 in 2012.
New sailboat sales increased 29.2 percent to 5,945 in 2012

Trends

Small fiberglass and aluminum outboard boats 26 feet or less in size, continued their upward climb with an 11.3 percent increase in the number of new boats sold.
Outboard boats are the most popular type of new powerboat sold, making up approximately 82 percent of the market.
Ski and wakeboard boats are seeing healthy growth with an increase of 13.4 percent new boats sold in 2012.
Jet boats, which are small fiberglass boats less than 26 feet in length, are a growing category. Of the 157,300 new powerboats sold in 2012, 4,500 were jet boats.
New jet boat sales increased 36.4% in 2012.

What’s Ahead

Sales of new powerboats have remained steady during the first half of 2013 and continued growth is expected with the summer boating season.
NMMA anticipates sales of new powerboats to grow five percent in 2013.

“Summer is a peak selling season for recreational boats, accessories and services throughout the U.S. as people look for ways to disconnect from the daily grind and enjoy fun times on the water, “ said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president.
“New boat sales have historically been a barometer for the U.S. economy and the steady sales increases we’re seeing is being reinforced by the slow uptick in consumer confidence, housing and spending. As economic growth continues, we anticipate sustained steady growth through the remainder of 2013.”

Boating Participation

Of the estimated 232.3 million adults in the U.S. in 2012, 37.8 percent, or 88 million, participated in recreational boating at least once during the year.
This is a six percent increase from 2011 and the largest number of U.S. adults participating in boating since NMMA began collecting the data in 1990.
Recreational boating participation has steadily increased since 2006.

Helping People Discover Boating

Growing participation is a priority for the recreational boating industry as it drives new boat sales.
Boat manufacturers, dealers, marinas, and other marine organizations joined together to form Discover Boating, a consumer program to grow participation and create a positive boating experience.
The North American effort provides resources to help those interested in boating get started and promotes the fun of the boating lifestyle through a national marketing campaign.

Links :

• ABC Booklet for Total U.S [PDF - 32993.05Kb]
  Total U.S. 2013 Economic Value of Recreational Boating Booklet distributed at the 2013 ABC.
• Source: The NMMA’s economic value report on the U.S. and by state, and congressional districts within each state, can be found within the Statistics section’s Research Library on NMMA.org. 

Blue daze

Blue Daze from Dave Otto

 12th of April at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania.

Summer sailstice : "Sail the summer winds"

The dove (film)

 From NOAA

Meteorological versus Astronomical summer—What’s the difference?

Yesterday, June 21, 2013, was officially the first day of summer according to what the calendar tells us.
That is the beginning of astronomical summer.

However, in the meteorological and climatological world, summer has already been in full swing for 20 days.

So why do meteorological and astronomical summer start on different days?

In short, it is because the astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun, whereas the meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle.

People have used observable periodic natural phenomena to mark time for thousands of years.

The natural rotation of the Earth around the sun forms the basis for the astronomical calendar, in which seasons are defined by two solstices and two equinoxes.

Both the solstices and equinoxes are determined based on the Earth’s tilt and the sun’s alignment over the equator.

The solstices mark the times when the sun’s annual path is farthest, north or south, from the Earth’s equator.

The equinoxes mark the times when the sun passes directly above the equator.

 Earth has seasons because our world is tilted on its axis with respect to our orbit around the sun.
Summer solstice 2013: Northern Hemisphere’s longest day, highest sun of the year
Image via NASA.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice falls on or around June 21, the winter solstice on or around December 22, the vernal (spring) equinox on or around March 21, and the autumnal equinox on or around September 22.

These seasons are reversed but begin on the same dates in the Southern Hemisphere.

Because the Earth actually travels around the sun in 365.24 days, an extra day is needed every fourth year, creating what we know as Leap Year.

This also causes the exact date of the solstices and equinoxes to vary.

Additionally, the elliptical shape of the Earth’s orbit around the sun causes the lengths of the astronomical seasons to vary between 89 and 93 days.

These variations in season length and season start would make it very difficult to consistently compare climatological statistics for a particular season from one year to the next.

Thus, the meteorological seasons were born.

Meteorologists and climatologists break the seasons down into groupings of three months based on the annual temperature cycle as well as our calendar.

We generally think of winter as the coldest time of the year and summer as the warmest time of the year, with spring and fall being the transition seasons, and that is what the meteorological seasons are based on.

Meteorological spring includes March, April, and May; meteorological summer includes June, July, and August; meteorological fall includes September, October, and November; and meteorological winter includes December, January, and February.

These seasons were created for meteorological observing and forecasting purposes, and they are more closely tied to our monthly civil calendar than the astronomical seasons are.

The length of the seasons is also more consistent for the meteorological seasons, ranging from 90 days for winter of a non-leap year to 92 days for spring and summer.

By following the civil calendar and having less variation in season length and season start, it becomes much easier to calculate seasonal statistics from the monthly statistics, both of which are very useful for agriculture, commerce, and a variety of other purposes.

Links :

• Summer sailstice