[drt1]

Agreed. Why haven't they used the look-down radars on Sats to complete the mapping of this area - Or at least all areas where subs and other Defense assets usually operate. I mean, jeeesh, they've been using this type of radar to map virtually every other part of the world, from Rain Forests to Egyptian ruins.

Makes no sense to me and I agree that some serious finger pointing is in order. It certainly will never do to lay any blame on the Captain for, as the article mentions, going too fast!

[endthematrix]

Remember the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade...

[Strategerist]

>o?Agreed. Why haven't they used the look-down radars on Sats to complete the mapping of this area - Or at least all areas where subs and other Defense assets usually operate. I mean, jeeesh, they've been using this type of radar to map virtually every other part of the world, from Rain Forests to Egyptian ruins

Rain Forests and Egyptian ruins aren't underwater.

You can't really do precise detailed ocean floor mapping from satellite; as the article notes, to really do it right you need a survey ship and that takes forever.

[Straight Vermonter]

Radar topographical mapping by the shuttle. Awesome detail.

More info

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #23 , I don't think Satellite technology is upto charting the deep.

[j_tull]

I mean, jeeesh, they've been using this type of radar to map virtually every other part of the world, from Rain Forests to Egyptian ruins.

None of which are under water. RF at radar frequency does not penetrate seawater nearly well enough to be used with much accuracy.

[MarkL]

Agreed. Why haven't they used the look-down radars on Sats to complete the mapping of this area - Or at least all areas where subs and other Defense assets usually operate. I mean, jeeesh, they've been using this type of radar to map virtually every other part of the world, from Rain Forests to Egyptian ruins.

I was under the impression that you can't use radar to chart underwater. I thought you needed a blue-green laser for that, and I don't think that the technology is quite there yet, but I could be wrong.

Mark

[Robert A Cook PE]

Hindsite: Look at the chart, which is in fathoms by the ay.

"Discolored water" reported, a single commercial sattelite image that "might" indicate a shallow spot, in water AVERAGING over 7200 (6*1200) feet deep!

Come on. Get real.

Where are you going to get the money to track down every "discolored water" sited, when ISLANDS and narrow STRAITS that are visible, and are used by ships, and ARE critical to navigation are regularly being "moved" by several miles every year.

You, we, NOBODY has the money to bureacratically decide to "map everything" in deep water just "because" sowmbody reported "discolored water" miles from anywhere in the South Pacific.

[RightWhale]

This would be a great time to be getting out of geology school with a major in mapping. Whatever the cost of one submarine is, that amount is about to be spent ten times over to map the entire ocean to a higher resolution.

[Uriah]

I believe its the $'s, and prioritys..which have now been reshuffled.