EXPERIM ENT: 01

COASTAL NAVIGATION

NAME: T.D.HEWAVITHARANA.

INDEX NO: 080812M

Practical No: 01 Title: Coastal Navigation Deadline: 12th October 2010

Objective:

Identify the location in the field using compass or GPS and maps. Familiarization of Kashmir software, and navigation using that software. Exploring other software to use as navigation software.

Introduction:

Navigation is a widely spread and developed area at present. It has been used and developed centuries due to its importance. Importance of navigation was identified by mankind even in ancient times. Navigation observing stars, other ground features were developed those days. At present it is very important thing and in the field or site you cant continue without good navigational skills. Coastal navigation is an important division which is closely associated with marine navigation, which was widely used and developed in medieval period. Costal navigation is important mainly due to safety of people who has closer relation with coast, locating and identifying special features and areas in coastal environment, locating mineral deposits, near or off shore developments and constructions, mining and oil extraction, marine and coastal biology etc.

Some navigational tools which are used in today are same as the ones were used for centuries. One of the most widely used instruments is compass. Compass was invented by Chinese and uses centuries, even today. Now there are enough instruments and gadgets for costal and marine navigation and still new things are inventing. We just need to learn the methodology, how to read those and apply their information. Still compass is used to identify the direction.

Maps are most important thing in navigation. Techniques used in mapping are developed centuries due to its importance and still modern technology is widely used for computer based mapping modeling. Even in the Stone Age, Homo sapiens mapped their hunting locations in denies. Recent past mapping was done on papers but now it is done on logical drives using binary numbers. Those maps are used to represent spatial data as well as non spatial data.

Global positioning system or GPS is an information system which is very accurate, efficient and important in modern navigational techniques. This system can be used to identify a location all over the world exactly. It is the most fastest, accurate and cheapest system of identification of locations. By using of global position system we can observe latitude, longitude and elevation of a location. At present GPS is widely used for various types of works and become day to day tool. The GPS is an excellent tool for basic and advanced coastal navigation. GPS is a satellite navigational system which developed by the US department of Defense. GPS provides us weather and three-dimensional space, land and marine Positioning Information (position, speed and time). At least four satellites are needed to exactly locate a location

There are number of navigational softwares for the purpose of navigation in advance. Kashmir navigation software and OziExplorer are two of those. Using those we can identify the path when we are in travel, with respect to a geological or topological map, locating sample locations etc, with aid of GPS.

Equipment Used:

Hand Held GPS Instrument. Laptop Computer. Battery (12v). Converter. Compass.

Methodology:

Identify the location using compass /GPS and maps Location was identified approximately in the map.

GPS were settled at the point and got the latitude, longitude and elevation of the location.

Then using the compass, directions were identified at the location. Familiarization of Kashmir software, and navigation using the software. First Kashmir software was opened.

Then map was opened by the Kashmir software. And the GPS was started using the Kashmir navigation software. Then navigation was started and identified the path where. Exploring other software to use as navigation software. Internet was browsed to find softwares which can be used for navigation. They are used to familiarize with them.

Discussion:
During our first practical of oceanography, software which is used to navigational purposes, Kashmir was introduced to us to familiarize. Beginning of the practical all the instruments were arranged carefully and running the GPS information software we start tracking GPS, and then opened the Kashmir. Using that software we can geo reference a normal topological map. Doing so, we were able to identify our location and also our path while traveling. A simple error in geo reference was found and it causes for shift of our tracking path from the road in the map. In addition to Kashmir OziExplorer was introduced to us and geo referencing of that was correctly done. In this software we can identify the moving direction because it points the direction using an arrow head. Identification of direction by software itself is an advanced ability of OziExplorer. Using that kind of software we can combine several geo referenced maps for further investigations. Then hand held GPS was introduced to us for familiarize. Using that we can observe our location. But while moving, its error is significant. We can give sample locations to it at the office and it will points out with an alarm when we reaching the location. Due to the portability, easy and simple way of access increases the applicability and suitability of the gadget for field works. With aid of a compass GPS is an efficient way of navigation. After presenting to the lab from the field we tried to geo reference a map using Kashmir. Coordinates of few (more than three) well identified locations of map were given to the software in order to geo referenced correctly. Then we explore the internet for find available software that uses to navigational purposes. Downloading one of that we tried to geo reference a map. Google Maps with GPS Tracker, Mapyx Quo, GPS Map Viewer, GPS TrackMaker and EasyGPS are few of the available softwares in internet.

References:
http://download.cnet.com/Kashmir-3D/3000-12940_4-10026087.html - 12/10/2010

http://www.cmtinc.com/gpsbook/ - 12/10/2010

http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_t opics/land_navigation_map_reading/land-navigation-map-readi.shtml 12/10/2010