Current Status of Niku 7 video analysis

[don hirth]

Hello, again, fellow 'forumers', It's been a while since my last post, however I visit the site daily.
I pose a question which may still be unanswerable, namely the approximate percentage of
video that has been thoroughly 'worked' and therefore relegated to the 'complete' bin. I wonder
if this is in the vicinity of 10%, 20% 30% or whatever. I've no doubt that to analyze properly,
sufficient time are the operative words but it would be great to publicize this figure and also to
mention the specific areas/depths currently 'complete' and their counterparts in the incomplete
area. BTW, the organization and the forum are still important. Perhaps some of the nit-picking
and bruised egos can be eliminated.

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Don, I do feel that a lot of work is going on behind the scenes regarding the footage. Bearing in mind that whatever the debris field was, it has been there a number of years and, as you have probably noticed, it has seen better days. That said, there's a lot to be positive about regarding the last expedition. The location of the debris is now known, the quality and quantity of the footage is excellent and, it is where something was theorised to be. The only negatives? Time is against whatever the debris was and $$$. We can fix the $$$ (eventually), but time?

[Tom Swearengen]

Don, I also have taken some "time off" from posting, and like you, I do still visit from time to time. I would say that there IS alot going on behind the scenes that we arent privey to. And thats ok. I'm sure Ric will have something to tell us soon.
Tom

[Ric Gillespie]

New research bulletin - Update Debris Field Analysis -  is now up on the TIGHAR website.

[C.W. Herndon]

Great news Ric.

Keep the good stuff coming!!

[Chris Johnson]

Couple off shots of the NC that i've not seen before.  Fantastic, thanks Ric. Will have to read and re read a few times for it to sink in, waiting for the 'informed' debate  ;)

[Chris Johnson]

Jeff N,

My simplified take on the NC debris is that it is 'down stream' of the new debris field.  I believe this means that the majority of wreckage will be moving down towards the LORAN station end of the island.  Lighter material would therefore have a greater chance of moving in that direction.  Also I remember Ric gave an approximate distance between the two fields in a post reply to a statement by GLP to do with the fields being close by and possibly merged.

I'm sure Ric will be more than happy to give the official (less waffle, more fact) version    ;D

[Ric Gillespie]

I'm sure Ric will be more than happy to give the official (less waffle, more fact) version    ;D

Yes, more than happy, but at the moment I'm preparing for the annular TIGHAR board of directors meeting this weekend at which we'll be addressing the question on everyone's mind - What is next for the Earhart Project?  Stay tuned.

[Chris Johnson]

Jeff,

just to clarify when i said

I didn't realize 'toward the Loran Station' was a part of that 'equation'

is was meaning in the general direction, i doubt that for one moment debris from the NC goes that far.

I'd probably agree that 100% is a bit of a bold statement as a good storm could chuck debris in any direction.  However there does appear to be little wreckage from the NC north of its position so it could be a close call to 100%

[Tim Mellon]

Yes, I do understand that the prevailing currents, sea action and storms all suggest a predominately southwesterly flow;   

The interesting thing about the currents is that, while on the surface they predominately flow from Northwest to Southeast (their strength being a function of the tidal phase, wind direction and strength), at depth they appeared to flow in the opposite direction (to the North). Therefore, I am sympathetic to Mr. Nevill's idea that the possibility exists that lighter materials from the shipwreck could, in fact, have been transported from the shipwreck to the North. However if this were the case, I find it much less likely that such materials would all have ended up in close proximity to one another in a "debris field".

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Great images in the update. Most spectacular? The AUV rescue snail trail image. Just take a look at the angle of the side of the seamount, the spurs and grooves. Not a very hospitable environment at all, even worse than I imagined. Full marks for getting all the kit back in one piece. Great image of the Norwich City wreckage on the reef face as well, it looks heavy, robust and, still holding together unlike the debris field below the Nessie object area.
Great work.

[Bruce Thomas]

The interesting thing about the currents is that, while on the surface they predominately flow from Northwest to Southeast (their strength being a function of the tidal phase, wind direction and strength), at depth they appeared to flow in the opposite direction (to the North).

Tim, please help me to see this conclusion about the flow "at depth."  I'm not seeing how they appear to flow "in the opposite direction."

[Tim Mellon]

Bruce, it's just that I was there, watching the ROV camera in real time as it moved along the slope; particles of dead plankton were falling like snow, and the direction they fell slanted to the North, as snow flakes would be blown by the wind. For Wolfgang, the "pilot" of the ROV, it meant dealing with either a "headwind" or "tailwind", depending upon whether he was travelling South or North.

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

I noticed that in the first video footage from 2010 Tim. It looked as though it was snowing a lot of the time, dead plankton, calcium carbonate particles etc.. Worse when the ROV thrusters kicked up a storm of the stuff. 70+ years of this stuff raining down on the debris?

[Chris Johnson]

Logicaly if there is a reverse current then the debries field would also show movement Northward?