The Mariana Trench
Deepest Underwater Trench
The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, just east of the 14 Mariana Islands (11"21' North latitude and 142" 12' East longitude ) near Japan. As you probably already know, it is the deepest part of the earth's oceans, and the deepest location of the earth itself. It was created by ocean-to-ocean subduction, a phenomena in which a plate topped by oceanic crust is subducted beneath another plate topped by oceanic crust.
The deepest part of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep, so named after the exploratory vessel HMS Challenger II; a fishing boat converted into a sea lab by Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard.
On this site, you will find information on the main characteristics of the Mariana Trench, its exploration, and its ecosystem.
The Biology section of the site covers the fish and various (organisms and microorganisms) of the deep, what makes these creatures unique, and the fascinating ways in which they live and survive.
The Oceanography section explores the data pertaining to the Mariana Trench and other deep sea formations.
The Exploration section relates some of the events pertaining to the first survey of the MT, and the history of deep sea exploration.
We have also included a section on the Mariana Arc, from an article published by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Magazine Online. In addition to this, we also added a nautical measurement conversion table, so that you may
In closing we have added two supplemental sections so that you may continue your research into the fascinating world of the deep. Whether you are seeking answers to questions about the Mariana Trench, or are simply interested in Marine Biology, Oceanography, or related subjects, we hope our site will help you better understand the mysteries of the ocean floor.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
FLIGHT AC190
FLIGHT AC190
TOSSED AROUND LIKE RAG DOLLS
15 seconds of terror
Everything seemed normal for the 88 people on board an Air Canada flight from Victoria to Toronto yesterday morning. Twenty minutes into the flight, the drama began as the Airbus A319 dropped in the sky
"I knew on that first lurch that this is not turbulence," said Jayne Harvey, a 45-year-old nurse from Keswick, Ont. Ms. Harvey, a veteran traveller, said the jet made a series of violent manoeuvres that threw passengers around the cabin. Minutes later, the captain came on the intercom and announced a "computer malfunction," and that he was flying the aircraft manually.Nisha Gill, 30, was seated in the 12th row with her 2-year-old daughter Riya - both of them wearing seatbelts - on their way to Toronto for a family visit when suddenly the plane began to shake and food and drinks went flying."I've been in turbulence, but this was more," she said, "I was thinking that's it. That is the last moments. It was quite scary." http://www.google.ca/
An Air Canada jet that went on a terrifying roller-coaster ride at 35,000 feet that put 10 people in hospital has left a host of questions about what caused the frightening plunges and rolls.
A transportation safety official said the Airbus A319 jet encountered control problems that will be the subject of an inquiry by Canadian federal aviation authorities.Investigators are expected to look at the Airbus jet's computer-controlled flight system, also known as fly-by-wire, which was first introduced by the aircraft maker in 1987.
Veteran pilots who spoke to The Globe and Mail said the Airbus may have hit severe turbulence that wreaked havoc on its systems as it was thrown around the sky, creating problems with its computerized autopilot or software-driven flight controls.
Air Canada also refused to talk about the technicalities of the event: "Our focus today has been on those passengers who have been injured in this incident and those other passengers on the aircraft for whom this has been a very stressful experience," Air Canada executive vice-president Robert Reid said in a statement.
The Air Canada jet took off from Victoria yesterday at 6:25 a.m. for a planned flight to Toronto, carrying 83 passengers and 5 flight crew. About 20 minutes later, the drama began, as the A319 cruised at 35,000 feet.
After recovering control of the plane, the pilots diverted to Calgary, where eight passengers and two crew members were taken away by ambulance. By yesterday afternoon, nine were out of hospital and officials expected the 10th to be released a short time later.
The allusion to a computer malfunction prompted some passengers to wonder if the airplanes computerized control systems contributed to the incident. "I don't know if it was knocked out and that's what caused the lurching of the plane or it was knocked out because of the lurch," Ms. Harvey said. "I have no idea. But he said we're manually flying the plane and we'll be landing in Calgary."
Andrew Evans, on his way to Washington, D.C. from Victoria, was seated at the front of the plane. "All of a sudden [there were] three big drops," said the 46-year-old. "...There was a crash. The cart tipped over and there was a lot of squealing. It was over and done with in 10 or 15 seconds."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada sent investigators to Calgary yesterday from its regional office in Edmonton to examine the scene and gather data. TSB spokesman John Cottreau said it was too early to determine what caused the midair disruption, but released a few details, including the fact that the A319's control problems occurred at an altitude of 35,000 feet, in U.S. airspace. Canadian officials have asked U.S. authorities for air traffic control tapes as part of the data-gathering process.
The TSB will commence its inquiry by compiling a set of facts about Air Canada Flight 190, and then decide on whether to launch a formal investigation, Mr. Cottreau said.
The aircraft encountered control problems and the captain declared an emergency," he said. "We should let the experts out in the field gather the data first, and we'll find out the answers to what happened, how and why it happened," Mr. Cottreau said.
Transport Canada spokeswoman Lucie Vignola said it's premature to draw conclusions about the safety of Air Canada's fleet of 39 Airbus A319's. "You should be wary of blaming anything at this point," she said, adding the Air Canada flight leaves many questions unanswered.
Questions about the Airbus fly-by-wire system were raised soon after the 1987 launch of the A320 (the aircraft the A319 is based on.) In 1988, an A320 crashed at a French air show when the pilot tried to make a low, slow pass over the runway. When the pilot advanced the throttles, the airplane didn't respond. It was later determined that the airplane's software had determined the pilot was landing, because he was at an altitude of just 30 feet, with the landing gear extended, and prevented him from applying full power.
The flight profile
Radar tracking data of Air Canada's Flight 190 from FlightAware, a U.S. firm that tracks commercial flights, shows three dramatic altitude changes.
FLYING BY WIRE
The Airbus A319 uses a "fly-by-wire" system that dispenses with the traditional hydraulic or mechanical connections that link the pilot's controls to the airplane's flight surfaces.
When the pilot of an A319 moves the control stick, commands are sent to computers that actuate remote motors that move the wing and tail surfaces
6:25 a.m. Pacific Standard Time
AC190 departs Victoria on a planned 4-hour, 27-minute flight to Toronto. The flight plan called for an average cruising speed of 449 knots at 37,000 feet.
6:40 a.m.
PSTAC190 reaches 31,100 feet, but within two minutes climbs to 35,000 feet.
6:42-6:47 a.m.
PSTAC190 maintains altitudes between 35,000 and 36,400 feet.
6:49-6:50 a.m.
PSTAC190 drops from 35,400 to 33,400 feet.
6:50-6:51 a.m.
PSTAC190 drops from 33,400 to 31,300 feet.
6:51-7:08 a.m.
PSTAC190 maintains altitudes between 31,000 and 31,200 feet.
7:09 a.m.
PSTAC190 begins its descent toward Calgary.
7:37 a.m.
PSTAC190 lands at Calgary airport, 1 hour, 12 minutes after departure.
TOSSED AROUND LIKE RAG DOLLS
15 seconds of terror
Everything seemed normal for the 88 people on board an Air Canada flight from Victoria to Toronto yesterday morning. Twenty minutes into the flight, the drama began as the Airbus A319 dropped in the sky
"I knew on that first lurch that this is not turbulence," said Jayne Harvey, a 45-year-old nurse from Keswick, Ont. Ms. Harvey, a veteran traveller, said the jet made a series of violent manoeuvres that threw passengers around the cabin. Minutes later, the captain came on the intercom and announced a "computer malfunction," and that he was flying the aircraft manually.Nisha Gill, 30, was seated in the 12th row with her 2-year-old daughter Riya - both of them wearing seatbelts - on their way to Toronto for a family visit when suddenly the plane began to shake and food and drinks went flying."I've been in turbulence, but this was more," she said, "I was thinking that's it. That is the last moments. It was quite scary." http://www.google.ca/
An Air Canada jet that went on a terrifying roller-coaster ride at 35,000 feet that put 10 people in hospital has left a host of questions about what caused the frightening plunges and rolls.
A transportation safety official said the Airbus A319 jet encountered control problems that will be the subject of an inquiry by Canadian federal aviation authorities.Investigators are expected to look at the Airbus jet's computer-controlled flight system, also known as fly-by-wire, which was first introduced by the aircraft maker in 1987.
Veteran pilots who spoke to The Globe and Mail said the Airbus may have hit severe turbulence that wreaked havoc on its systems as it was thrown around the sky, creating problems with its computerized autopilot or software-driven flight controls.
Air Canada also refused to talk about the technicalities of the event: "Our focus today has been on those passengers who have been injured in this incident and those other passengers on the aircraft for whom this has been a very stressful experience," Air Canada executive vice-president Robert Reid said in a statement.
The Air Canada jet took off from Victoria yesterday at 6:25 a.m. for a planned flight to Toronto, carrying 83 passengers and 5 flight crew. About 20 minutes later, the drama began, as the A319 cruised at 35,000 feet.
After recovering control of the plane, the pilots diverted to Calgary, where eight passengers and two crew members were taken away by ambulance. By yesterday afternoon, nine were out of hospital and officials expected the 10th to be released a short time later.
The allusion to a computer malfunction prompted some passengers to wonder if the airplanes computerized control systems contributed to the incident. "I don't know if it was knocked out and that's what caused the lurching of the plane or it was knocked out because of the lurch," Ms. Harvey said. "I have no idea. But he said we're manually flying the plane and we'll be landing in Calgary."
Andrew Evans, on his way to Washington, D.C. from Victoria, was seated at the front of the plane. "All of a sudden [there were] three big drops," said the 46-year-old. "...There was a crash. The cart tipped over and there was a lot of squealing. It was over and done with in 10 or 15 seconds."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada sent investigators to Calgary yesterday from its regional office in Edmonton to examine the scene and gather data. TSB spokesman John Cottreau said it was too early to determine what caused the midair disruption, but released a few details, including the fact that the A319's control problems occurred at an altitude of 35,000 feet, in U.S. airspace. Canadian officials have asked U.S. authorities for air traffic control tapes as part of the data-gathering process.
The TSB will commence its inquiry by compiling a set of facts about Air Canada Flight 190, and then decide on whether to launch a formal investigation, Mr. Cottreau said.
The aircraft encountered control problems and the captain declared an emergency," he said. "We should let the experts out in the field gather the data first, and we'll find out the answers to what happened, how and why it happened," Mr. Cottreau said.
Transport Canada spokeswoman Lucie Vignola said it's premature to draw conclusions about the safety of Air Canada's fleet of 39 Airbus A319's. "You should be wary of blaming anything at this point," she said, adding the Air Canada flight leaves many questions unanswered.
Questions about the Airbus fly-by-wire system were raised soon after the 1987 launch of the A320 (the aircraft the A319 is based on.) In 1988, an A320 crashed at a French air show when the pilot tried to make a low, slow pass over the runway. When the pilot advanced the throttles, the airplane didn't respond. It was later determined that the airplane's software had determined the pilot was landing, because he was at an altitude of just 30 feet, with the landing gear extended, and prevented him from applying full power.
The flight profile
Radar tracking data of Air Canada's Flight 190 from FlightAware, a U.S. firm that tracks commercial flights, shows three dramatic altitude changes.
FLYING BY WIRE
The Airbus A319 uses a "fly-by-wire" system that dispenses with the traditional hydraulic or mechanical connections that link the pilot's controls to the airplane's flight surfaces.
When the pilot of an A319 moves the control stick, commands are sent to computers that actuate remote motors that move the wing and tail surfaces
6:25 a.m. Pacific Standard Time
AC190 departs Victoria on a planned 4-hour, 27-minute flight to Toronto. The flight plan called for an average cruising speed of 449 knots at 37,000 feet.
6:40 a.m.
PSTAC190 reaches 31,100 feet, but within two minutes climbs to 35,000 feet.
6:42-6:47 a.m.
PSTAC190 maintains altitudes between 35,000 and 36,400 feet.
6:49-6:50 a.m.
PSTAC190 drops from 35,400 to 33,400 feet.
6:50-6:51 a.m.
PSTAC190 drops from 33,400 to 31,300 feet.
6:51-7:08 a.m.
PSTAC190 maintains altitudes between 31,000 and 31,200 feet.
7:09 a.m.
PSTAC190 begins its descent toward Calgary.
7:37 a.m.
PSTAC190 lands at Calgary airport, 1 hour, 12 minutes after departure.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Canadarm
The Canadarm As you all may know is a big part of making the International Space Center now says good bye to Canada!For it has been sold to a U.S. firm as part of a $1.325 billion cash deal.Late Tuesday, Richmond, B.C.-based MDA said it had sold its information systems, satellite and space mission businesses to Alliant Techsystems of Edina, Minn. The Canadarm is and will be an amazing piece of technology!
Canada's most famous robotic and technological achievement The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), also known as Canadarm went on its first space voyage aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia on November 13, 1981. The design and building of the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System marks the beginning of Canada's close collaboration with NASA in manned space flight. The Canadarm project remains a sterling example of successful international space cooperation.
Canadarm firmly established Canada's international reputation for robotics innovation and know-how. Its excellent performance record has inspired several generations of scientists and engineers as they develop new technologies for industry, medicine, and other applications.
Ever since has demonstrated innovative versatility, strength and precision on subsequent voyages. To this date Canadarm has flawlessly performed over 50 missions; doing such tasks as placing satellites into orbit and recovering malfunctions ones for repair. Not only is Canadarm a useful grabbing mechanism, it has also served as a walkway for the astronauts who repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition, the SRMS was once used to dislodge a block of ice which was clogging a shuttle's waste water vent. Indeed, Canadarm's versatility makes it a very handy space tool.
The SRMS has a mass of approximately 400 kg yet can manoeuver cargo of up to 266 000 kg. It has similar directional freedom to that of the human arm except with an elbow joint that has a full up and down range of motion. Each joint on the arm has its own motor with brakes and speed control. The grasping of objects is accomplished by Canadarm's End Effector, a cylindrical mechanism containing a contractible snare-like apparatus of diameter 20 cm which grapples protruding knobs attached to the payload!
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