EVS-Islands

Back in 1966, I served a year in Vietnam. I was in the Air Force stationed at Da Nang. That conflict tore Vietnam apart both figuratively and literally. Many times I've wondered if the Vietnamese people have been able to repair their once ravaged country. This island and the surrounding mainland indicates positive steps toward recovery are being made.

This area is north of the old DMZ. In August 1964, Vietnamese patrol boats took off from this area and fired upon the USS Maddox, which was on an intelligence gathering mission. This controversial incident led to the single greatest major escalation of that conflict, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

Now days, the area is noted for the Nghi Son Cement Factory, located in the Nghi Son Industrial Area, and port. The industrial area and port provide employment and other opportunities for the local inhabitants. Recovery is happening in Vietnam, slowly.

Just a few remarks about the complexity of this mapping project. I initially selected this area due to some off-lying islands. Those were mapped within the first few hours. I decided to work on Nghi Son Island as an after-thought. It turned out to be quite complex. What appears to be finger-like dikes in the lagoon are most probably related to aquaculture. What I have identified as EVS Land Bare along the coast is most probably a series of beaches. The area is riddled with limestone which is used in the cement operation. However the Landsat imagery hints at it's locations within the area, but not enough that I feel confident in identifying it. The Nghi Son area of this project took about six to eight hours to complete. Interesting, but not fun. However, when you are stubborn and determined to complete each mapping project, you just keep pushing until everything is complete. I think that goes for most projects in life.

Enjoy!

Labels: cement, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific, Vietnam

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/27/2007 06:06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

First about Global Mapper (GM) and why I use it. My work on islands is all about loading very large raster images (Landsat ETM+ mosaics). Each file is 100 to 300 MBs in size using MrSid format. Them is some big files! GM makes loading these very large files a snap. I select the file and it's loaded within seconds. I might add, properly georectified as well. Some of my projects require multiple Landsat images. No problem. I believe the largest file that can be handled by GM is up to 4 GBs.

Once I have the images loaded, I begin digitizing. Again, it's a snap. Digitizing in GM is precise and extremely flexible. After a brief learning curve, one is digitizing to their heart's content. Once the various layers of information have been created, the export choices are numerous.

Now my favorite part about the GM product - Mike. Mike is Global Mapper. I don't know if this is actually the case, but I visualize Mike working out of a small office. His phone isn't ringing, because he does all of his customer interaction via the web. He works daily with customers tweaking his excellent mapping program. Many times I read within the GM group that a customer wishes that something could be added, or a portion of the GM program adjusted, or a process simplified and most often within minutes to a few hours, Mike makes the change and posts the improved version of the program for all clients to retrieve. For this service, which is unparalleled in the industry, he charges nothing. He wants his product to be the best it can be and he knows that it is ultimately the end-user that is the best source from which to learn how to improve his program. If he can make the change, he makes it. If the change requires extensive programming, he makes the change more slowly, but he makes it. If the change is beyond his vision of what his program should be, he will provide you with a work-around or tell you straight that he isn't able to make the change. Mike does what every business should do - listen to the customer and respond quickly with a solution, not a promise of a solution, but a finished solution. Mike is the best!

I have other mapping software, but when I call them for answers, they want to charge me. If I work with them online, they give me happy talk about my question and they definitely do not make changes to their program in realtime. Most often, they tell me why something can't be done. Whereas, Mike just makes the change and provides the updated program to you.

All of you folks in charge of a product or service, LISTEN UP! Here is how Mike does his business and how you should - He reads your request. He answers your query. He adds to, changes or adjusts his program to satisfy your request. He makes the changed program available to his clients. All of this at no charge, and typically done the same day. And for his efforts, he has an extremely loyal and growing customer base.

That's good business! And that's why I continue to use GM.

Enjoy!

Labels: Customer Service, digitizing, Global Mapper, map

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/24/2007 08:34:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Okino-tori-shima - GE Image

Okino-tori-shima - Map

Okino-tori Shima (20˚25'N., 136˚05'E.) is located about 375 miles SW of Minami-Io Shima. It was formerly known as Parece Vela or Douglas Reef. This coral reef extends about 2.8 miles in an E to W direction, is about 0.8 mile wide, and encloses a reef-encumbered lagoon. A number of small islets and above-water coral heads, 1 to 3m high, lie on the reef. Two small towers stand near the W extremity of the reef. It is a Japanese possession.

Caution.—A below-water reef, with estimated depths from 2 to 3m, has been reported to extend about 3 miles NW from the W part of Okino-tori Shima. Numerous tide rips were observed in the vicinity.

Breakers extend 0.5 mile off the E and W ends of Okino-tori Shima. It has been reported that breaking seas have been observed about 1 mile N of the W extremity of Okino-tori Shima, but were not observed in 1997.

Okino-tori Shima and the reported reefs should be given a wide berth, as there has been no recent survey. Boat passages have been reported on the SE and NE sides of the reef, but they have not been examined.

A large platform, about 20m high and supported by six rows of supporting pillars oriented approximately E and W, stands close E of the small towers. This platform, which appears abandoned, was reported (1997) visible on radar at a distance of 20 miles.

Another off-lying danger was reported in 1971. It appeared to be a coral-like shoal breaking in position 20˚18'N, 135˚28'E, bearing 259˚, 36 miles from Okino-tori Shima. In 1988, it was reported that a vessel transiting the area failed to see this danger. Vessels are urged to exercise caution when navigating within the vicinity. (SD Pub-158)

Proposed 200-NM Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Wikipedia has an excellent article about this reef that claims to be an island. Why would Japan spend in excess of $600 million on this little reef? Because they needed it to have land above water. So they built up the three small reefs awash areas and transformed them into circular islands with strong rock reenforced shorelines. They basically fashioned three artificial islands to bolster their claim that this "island" allows them to claim an additional 200-NM EEZ around the island. As the Wikipedia article states the area has a potential for oil, among other resources.

Oh, the tangled web countries weave to bolster their claims for land. So goes the way of nations.

Enjoy!

Labels: atoll, Digital Globe, EVS, Google Earth, island, Japan, Pacific, reef

Posted by Mr Minton at 1/23/2007 06:15:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post