Hydro International Columns

The catastrophic events following the Asian tsunami last Christmas have captured the world's attention. Governments and agencies are rushing to introduce a tsunami warning system mirroring the excelle...

It is clear Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are providing added value business solutions in the wider geomatics world; this may be seen reading the many articles in the Geomatics Information Ma...

Digital methods of data acquisition are now commonplace in most offshore survey techniques. One of the last operations still being performed with analogue technology is the recording of video signals ...

The offshore industry has a range of standards in common use. As survey contractors/subcontractors, how far should we aim for standardisation in the work we do and how much scope should we leave for d...

The IMO is considering a phased programme to make the carriage of ECDIS compulsory. This could mean that certain vessels be required to carry ECDIS from as early as 2008. In my view, this is the key t...

The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) are co-operating very closely to take appropriate action for the mandatory carriage of ECDIS to incr...

The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) are co-operating very closely to take appropriate action for the mandatory carriage of ECDIS to incr...

Legislation varies from country to country, with respect to the definition of the maritime, fluvial and lacustrine spaces administered by the state. In general, the sea floor and the water column are ...

There are three new elements of hydrographic importance contained in Chapter V of SOLAS which will increase safety at sea; the provision of hydrographic services, the definition of nautical charts and...

The existence of Web-based Geographic Information System (Web-based GIS) will enable the Hydrographic Information System to integrate all the activities of a Hydrographic Office on a single integrated...

My colleague Peter Johnson presented a paper at this year’s Canadian Hydrographic Conference explaining how Australia is implementing Zones of Confidence in its charts. The Zones of Confidence (ZOC)...

July 2002 signalled a significant milestone in the long, tortuous life of ECDIS. It was the month that ECDIS was formally recognised (and specifically mentioned) in SOLAS Chapter V. It should have bee...

Some twenty years ago I was involved in a re-survey of Doubtful Sound, in the isolated Fiordland area of New Zealand. The existing chart dated from 1851 but was adequate for the small fishing vessels ...

GOMaP, the Global Ocean Mapping Project, was a plan to methodically map all the world's oceans by multi-beam sonar. It may be stalled, but swath mapping of the oceans is certainly proceeding at a bris...

As I sit down to write this periodic column, I am reminded of the story of the grizzled old retired fisherman sitting in a waterfront tavern. It is a dreadful night, rain pouring down, a storm howling...