EVS-Islands

Mankin Island - Marplot Map (1:4,000,000)

For the past 6-hours I have been digitizing various layers that makeup Mankin Island. I have been working off of a Google Earth / Digital Globe image so I have great resolution of ground features from which to work. So for 6-hours I am intently focused on this chunk of island floating in the Pacific. I took the 13-layers of digitized information from Google Earth, reformatted the files so they would drop into Marplot, my current mapping software and imported it. My map view at the time was at 1:4,000,000 scale. I looked for the imported files on the screen and couldn't find them. I could recognize many countries, islands and other geographic features, but not my project island. Then it hit me, "Damn, these islands I am working on are small!". They are tiny relative to the expanse of the ocean they reside in. They are drips and drops of land compared to large islands.

What's the point? Yeah, they are small, but to the people living on them they are HOME! They are the universe for a few hundred hardy souls that have lived on these isolated outposts of humanity from birth to death.

This is Mankin Island up close and personal. The image includes the airstrip and the taro gardens. Reefs ring the island. To the southwest of the airstrip is one of the villages that are located on these motus. I am in the process of mapping this little jewel. Before I am finished I will probably spend another 6-hours working. It is time well spent.

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, Global Mapper, Google Earth, island, Marplot

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/05/2007 06:10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Bozca Ada and Karayer Adalari TU

These islands are located just outside of the Dardanelles, a strategically important strait controlling access to Istanbul and ultimately the Black Sea. Many ships transporting a number of resources pass within close proximity to these islands. Currently, the islands are used as tourist destinations. The small islands to the north, Karayer Adalari, are located even closer to the entrance to the Dardanelles.

Directly opposite the eastern shore of the island is the reputed location of the ancient city of Troy. These islands were used during the Trojan Wars, according to historians of the period.

I will aim you to one web site that claims to be the ultimate Bozca Ada link. It is an informative site for the casual cyber visitors and would be productive for the tourist anticipating a visit.

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I primarily used Google Earth - Digital Globe imagery for this project. It allowed me to accomplish some detailed mapping - Bozca Ada Village, for example. Nothing too fancy, but a good map.

Enjoy!

PS - This island is also known as Tenedos. However, since Turkey rules, Bozca Ada is the correct name.

Labels: Dardanelles, Digital Globe, EVS, Global Mapper, Google Earth, island, Istanbul, map, Trojan Wars, Troy, Turkey

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/01/2007 11:01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Smithsonian Atoll Research Bulletin

Back in the old days when I used to scrounge island data in libraries, I loved to read articles from Smithsonian Atoll Research Bulletin (ARB). Now days, the series is available on-line through the generosity of the Smithsonian and the efforts of David Duffy, unit leader of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The articles are timeless and cover topics that are of interest to all island lovers. Take your time and explore the many bulletins. They are worth the research.

Enjoy!

Labels: ARB, atoll, island, PCSU, Smithsonian

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/01/2007 01:40:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post