{"id":708,"date":"2012-12-06T08:09:59","date_gmt":"2012-12-06T13:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/noaacoastsurvey.wordpress.com\/?p=708"},"modified":"2012-12-06T08:09:59","modified_gmt":"2012-12-06T13:09:59","slug":"noaa-coast-survey-cartographers-update-and-maintain-over-a-thousand-nautical-charts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/noaa-coast-survey-cartographers-update-and-maintain-over-a-thousand-nautical-charts\/","title":{"rendered":"NOAA Coast Survey cartographers update and maintain over a thousand nautical charts"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the first six months of the Coast Survey blog, we have focused largely on the field work \u2013 surveying sparsely charted Arctic waters, responding to calls for help following hurricane destruction, finding dangers to navigation, and even identifying historic wrecks. We haven\u2019t covered the day-in, day-out job that is our reason for existence: creating and updating the country\u2019s nautical charts.
\nCoast Survey has compiled and maintained the nation\u2019s nautical charts for nearly two centuries, after President Thomas Jefferson approved legislation in the Ninth Congress<\/a> in 1807, and we now maintain a suite of over a thousand charts. We sometimes get the question, \u201caren\u2019t you done yet?\u201d Haven\u2019t we finished charting all of the U.S. waters?
\n

\"Coast<\/a>
Coast Survey issued new Kotzebue chart 16161, partially depicted here, in May 2012.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThe simple answer is no: because storms alter seafloors, and water depths constantly change due to shifting shoals, submerged hazards, and coastal development, Coast Survey must continually update the nation\u2019s nautical charts. Charting those changes, and ensuring chart accuracy and precision, is essential to protecting life and property.
\nThe more complicated answer may surprise you. Many of our nation\u2019s marine shipping lanes, harbors, and port areas haven\u2019t been mapped since the 1920s, when measurements weren\u2019t as precise \u2013 or even as accurate \u2012 as is possible now. Some areas, especially in Alaska, haven\u2019t had bottom measurements since the mid-1770s.
\nCoast Survey\u2019s Marine Chart Division employs many of the nation\u2019s best cartographers. Since 2009, cartographers have applied approximately 50,000 critical charting corrections<\/a> to NOAA’s various charting products. In fiscal year 2012 alone, cartographers applied more than 11,000 critical corrections to chart updates<\/a>.
\nOver those four years, Coast Survey has also produced over 500 new chart editions<\/a> (of current charts), and built 200 new NOAA ENC\u00ae (NOAA electronic navigational charts<\/a>). This includes 155 new chart editions and 56 new ENCs in fiscal year 2012.
\nThis year, Coast Survey produced several brand new nautical charts, including a new chart for the Port of San Juan<\/a>, Puerto Rico, and for the Kotzebue Harbor<\/a> in Alaska, where increasing ocean commerce required improved navigational products. Coast Survey also released an updated chart of Norfolk Harbor, with a new inset of the Inner Harbor<\/a>, which has developed as a multi-purpose port area.
\nIn addition to updating old charts, and creating new ones, Coast Survey is making more information accessible from its electronic navigational charts. Effective early 2012, several of NOAA\u2019s ENCs that cover the approaches to the East Coast now alert mariners when they are approaching the right whale seasonal management areas<\/a>, giving them better information to plan to reduce their speeds or avoid the areas altogether. The seasonal management areas, as encoded into the ENCs, graphically show the areas where vessels greater than 65 feet in length must travel at 10 knots or less to reduce the risk of collisions with right whales. The ENCs will also provide for an alarm on the ship\u2019s electronic chart display and information system as vessels enter the speed zone, further alerting the bridge watchstander of speed restrictions.
\nWe are seeing a gradual shift from paper nautical charts to raster navigational charts<\/a> and electronic navigational charts<\/a>. Over the last four years, the public has purchased nearly 428,000 print-on-demand paper charts<\/a>, and another 392,000 traditional paper charts<\/a>. Reflecting the booming technology in navigation, the public has downloaded countless millions of the electronic and raster navigational charts that NOAA offers free on the Internet<\/a>.
\nEven while cartographers use their expertise to update and innovate, there is still the matter of uncharted U.S. waters \u2013 waters that remain to be surveyed. Coast Survey is mandated to provide nautical charts for all U.S. territorial waters and the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, a combined area of 3.4 million square nautical miles that extends 200 nautical miles offshore from the nation\u2019s coastline. A complete survey of all of those waters would require 545 ship years and $5 billion just to acquire the data. Lacking those resources, NOAA has instead established priorities for the hydrographic surveys that acquire data necessary for reliable charts. Those priorities are updated annually, and are available on Coast Survey\u2019s website, as NOAA Hydrographic Survey Priorities<\/a>.
\nA critical need for new or updated charts is especially emerging in the Arctic, and Coast Survey\u2019s Arctic Nautical Charting Plan<\/a> addresses the tasks ahead.
\nCommercial mariners and recreational boaters will always rely on NOAA\u2019s charts to keep them and their passengers and cargo safe from harm. NOAA\u2019s cartographers will always work to earn that trust.
\n—
\nAdditional resource:<\/em>
\nIf you note a chart discrepancy, please report it through our online service<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the first six months of the Coast Survey blog, we have focused largely on the field work \u2013 surveying sparsely charted Arctic waters, responding to calls for help following hurricane destruction, finding dangers to navigation, and even identifying historic wrecks. We haven\u2019t covered the day-in, day-out job that is our reason for existence: creating … <\/p>\n

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