NIKU VII

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Well, I think, the best "smoking gun" would be a WASP. An engine will be found easier than anything else. Do you agree?

Spot on Oskar an engine would do nicely, even one in a hundred bits.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

am looking forward to tomorrow's update, as we should find out if any man made objects have been picked up by AUV on slope under Nessie  :)

1. They are not picking anything up on this expedition.

2. They are most unlikely to disclose any details to the public until Discovery clears them to.  Big money is at stake.  Discovery paid the piper and gets to call the tune. (Other major sponsors would probably get word of results prior to a public announcement.)

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

That's the way it should be Marty, plus the wishes of the Republic of Kiribati. There will be plenty to do later.

[richie conroy]

sorry Marty i meant picked up in the sense "picked up on sonar like the other objects"

my fault i should have been more specific on what i meant or worded it better  ::)

[richie conroy]

am looking forward to tomorrow's update, as we should find out if any man made objects have been picked up by AUV on slope under Nessie  :)

1. They are not picking anything up on this expedition.

2. They are most unlikely to disclose any details to the public until Discovery clears them to.  Big money is at stake.  Discovery paid the piper and gets to call the tune. (Other major sponsors would probably get word of results prior to a public announcement.)

In all honesty Marty

I have been surprised by how much data/info we have been told about.

Also can you tell me what category 2 is ?

I have an idea, However would like it clarified   :)   

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

This will give you some idea Richie. The AUV contact is assessed using a set of criteria and the reults given a grading of 1 to 5. Something of a similar nature will be used on this expedition...
http://searchforamelia.org/contact-2

[richie conroy]

Thank's Jeff  :)

[John Balderston]

A spur and groove reef face, shallow part, hence the divers and, not verey steep at all. Not the sort of place that light weight aluminium construction would tend to thrive in IMHO
http://youtu.be/Na4dMzVp-aY

JVH, the spur and groove reef description in the video is interesting - thanks for sharing.  Not being an expert in any of the disciplines that go into it (oceanography, marine bio, hydrodynamics), I imagined reefs would be built by the reverse of erosion (venturi effect) - raised geography or channels cause increased water speed in local area, decreasing the probability that micro-organisms attach there, and increasing the chance they attach elsewhere, exascerbating the effect, etc.  Anyway, really rugged environment for anything fragile to survive, that's for sure! -jb

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Also can you tell me what category 2 is ?

"Possible artifact--worth examining with the ROV."

Of course, the artifact in question could come from fishing boats, the Norwich City, garbage dumps, Japan's Tsunami, etc.

[Tom Swearengen]

I think I posted something like this before, but seems to me that Niku's reef slope 'might' look something like this. Kauai coastline----but if Niku looks anything like this, it might be tough going.
Tom

[Anthony Allen Roach]

I'm not a geologist, but my understanding of coral atoll formation is as follows:  At some time in the geologic past, an underwater volcano grow from the ocean floor, and broke through the ocean's surface.  The volcano goes extinct, and subsides.  As it subsides, a fringing reef develops on its sides.  So it seems to me that unlike the sea floor in coastal waters that gradually slopes to a continental slope, the side of the reef is very steep, built up on the side of an extinct volcano that is also steep.  I think that steepness affects the ability of ships to anchor off the coral reefs.

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

That's about right Anthony. Nikumaroro is the top of a seamount...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamount

It is still referred to as the Gardner seamount...

http://earthref.org/cgi-bin/sc-s2-list.cgi?database_name=sc&search_start=main&selected_smnt_id=65

[richie conroy]

they need to find that rope and wire  :)

[richie conroy]

hard to say Leon

Ric has been very forthcoming with information so far

however he has said no man made objects have been found in primary search area

but then if he said there was man made objects worth a second look, then the media would go in overdrive as well as ourselves

:)

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

The main sponsors get priority Leon and, that's how it should be. They put a lot of money and trust in Tighar and, I'm ok with that aspect, no problem.