Carbonate sandwaves in Bass Strait. If you'd like some expert background on an issue or a news event, drop us a line at explainers@smh.com.au or explainers@theage.com.au. Meaning of place name. Geoscience Australias Nichol is quick to add that this is not a constant; its actually the worst-case scenario with upwelling less likely during summer but the East Australian Current is always there. The War Zone previously laid out this reality and its implications in great detail in this feature. The second thing to know is that this very spot is where the East Australian Current stops. Bass Straight is exposed to the Roaring 40s that blow across the southern coastline of Australia. There are many reports of ships vanishing in the Bass Strait during the 19th century. Of the more than 60 islands only three have permanent residents: Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island and Clarke Island. [23], In terms of dinghy sailing many crossings have been made but in March 2005 Australian Olympic medallist Michael Blackburn set a record when he crossed the strait in just over 13 hours in a Laser sailing dinghy. Her purse, full of money, was also discovered. The strait often experiences rough water and heavy swells from strong winds, especially from the south. The East Australian Current hits the Bass Strait.Credit:CSIRO. A briefing slide states that the objects were not distinguishable by the naked eye. The winds get funnelled through . Despite myths and legends of piracy, wrecking and alleged supernatural phenomena akin to those of the Bermuda Triangle, such disappearances can be invariably ascribed to treacherous combinations of wind and sea conditions, and the numerous semi-submerged rocks and reefs within the Straits. Two underwater plateaus, the Bassian Rise and King Island Rise located on the eastern and western margins of Bass Strait, respectively, are composed of a basement of Paleozoic granite. Email info@bst.net.au. GENEVA (ILO News) - As many as 24,000 fishermen and persons engaged in fish farming and processing are killed every year putting fishing and related occupations among the most dangerous of all professions, according to a new report* released by the International Labour Office (ILO). In terms of treacherous water, its got to be up there with the most treacherous in the world.. Id love to say that Im expecting north-easterly winds and a nice run down to Hobart, says Langman. The final hurdle for any Bass Strait crossing is the last step to the Tasmanian mainland across Banks Strait, theoretically the most dangerous part of the whole crossing. The War Zone has received a highly significant new set of documents from the U.S. Navy via the Freedom of Information Act about a series of enigmatic drone swarm events that occurred in the waters off Southern California in 2019. And why is the Malacca Strait so important for China and the rest of Asia and the World? [29], In 1971 lone rower David Bowen from Mount Martha crossed Bass Strait in a 6.1m (20ft) dory, leaving from Devonport he landed on Wilson's Promontory. There are over 50 islands in Bass Strait. After the 1998 race, organisers made changes to . Roys son, Jason, was with his father on the evening in question. Indigenous Australians crossed into Tasmania via the Bassian Plain tens of thousands of years ago. The boat is a beautiful custom-fitted runabout built to commercial Survey, and its name - Longevity - is apt in many ways. Following her sudden disappearance, investigators would discover that none of her belongings had been taken and that her room was left as if had she been coming back to it that evening as normal. King Island and the Indian Ocean lie at its western extremity, and the Furneaux Group is at its eastern end. The timeline indicates ships were directed by "GZ" but it is unclear what this abbreviation refers to. The purpose of the voyage was to raise funds for the treatment of the endangered Tasmanian Devil, an animal species suffering from a facial tumour disease and, if possible, break the dinghy sailing time record for the crossing. In short, there was nothing to indicate that she had been planning on leaving.[6]. What is now known as the Bass Strait used to be a giant plain that Aboriginal people lived and travelled on, until around 30,000 years ago when there was an ice age. Esso Australia has made significant progress on our well plug and abandonment work, which puts non-producing platforms in a safe state until final decommissioning occurs. There was enough time for coastal sand dunes to form, and in some cases theyve actually been preserved, Nichol says. Even aboard a cruise, the waters around the Drake Passage are still known as one of the most dangerous maritime routes in the world. We now know that in several instances, the Navy had significant information about the potential origin of the drones deployed in some of the most serious incidents, although the specific operators remained unknown. The table below provides detailed information about the sea conditions for the next . DroneSec CEO Mike Monnik told us that incidents involving multiple drones have increased significantly worldwide since 2019. One of the things that makes the strait so dangerous is that these two opposing weather systems can occur simultaneously. Australian Journal of Earth Science, 35, 303-311. An email sent on July 15th matches these details and references a number of images and one video file. There is also the question of the sheer amount of people who go missingseemingly vanishing into thin air. A briefing slide from the USS Russell shows that the ship observed two groups of lights over a period of about three hours. We previously reported the close presence of several civilian vessels in conjunction with these sightings, notably the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier MV Bass Strait. (Yes, thats a bit before the 19th century.) 1980. Public affairs officials in multiple agencies have been consistently tight-lipped on this matter, with most information coming strictly through the Freedom of Information Act. There are plenty of theories as to what might have happened, though. However the alternative, using Drake's. Fast replacing the Somalian coast as the piracy hotspot, the Gulf of Guinea has become one of the most dangerous places to go sailing. Documents show that the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Russell, also referred to by its hull number, DDG 59, and the abbreviation RSL), first reported an interaction with three unknown UAS on July 17th, 2019 approximately 62 nautical miles southwest of San Nicolas Island. Indeed, the strait became so notorious for ships going missing that few dared to make the north to south journey until Melbourne was established in 1835, and even then at least seven major vessels vanished without a trace . Sign up for our Explainer newsletter enlightening explanations for complex questions, delivered to your inbox Sunday night from January 15. In previous weeks, top defense officials told Congress that the 2019 swarm incidents were caused by drones. The images from the incident include these photographs of what appears to be the Bass Strait. However, the newly released documents contain several clarifying details. Here are some theories on why. A timeline of events shows that the surveillance lasted for just under four hours. He reported that the strong south westerly swell and the tides and currents suggested that the island was in a channel linking the Pacific and southern Indian Ocean. Natural gas production from Bass Strait currently supplies approximately 40% of Australian east coast domestic gas demand and is the largest supplier into the Eastern . . [10] A similar event took place 12 years later when the Harlech Castle disappeared, taking all 23 crew members with her. As the the author explains, however, if you wait for the appropriate weather window, you can enjoy Does Bass Strait still produce oil? The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race passes generally east of the strait but is affected by its weather conditions. Banks Strait is the southeastern opening to the Tasman Sea. Though some of these incidents involved things like attempts to hack civilian light displays, many fall in the realm of more nefarious activities. Perhaps the most thorough list of losses and disappearances has been the oft reprinted book of Jack Loney[20] though it is possible that most losses can be adequately explained by extreme weather events.[21]. It is about 80 mi (130 km) wide and has many reefs and shoals dangerous to navigation, and its larger islands are inhabited. The ominous reputation of the Bass Strait goes back to its very discovery in 1797, when the vessel Sydney Cove, . Two years earlier in 1942, an Australian fighter pilot took his plane over the Bass Strait after orders to investigate reports of strange lights made by fishermen. [7], The next European to approach the strait was Captain James Cook in the Endeavour in April 1770. Forty miles into its Bass Strait nightmare, Midnight Rambler was confronted with a situation that could easily have ended its race. In other words, what were once dune-lined areas of coast are now all underwater. The Tasmanian (Launceston, Tas. The project, which could have 250 wind turbines within a 574km2 (222sqmi) area, is projected to deliver around 8,000GWh of electricity, representing some 18 per cent of Victoria's power usage and replacing a large part of the output of Hazelwood Power Station, which was closed in early 2017. This ice age cause sea levels to drop so that at one point there was a continuous stretch of land . The USS Gabrielle Giffords also queried what it believed to be the UAS "homeplate" a term used to indicate an aircraft's home airfield or ship. Read More: Simon Louis, from the Bureau of Meteorology in Tasmania, says cold fronts around southeast Australia can split up and become westerly and southerly winds that later meet around Bass Strait. Pirates here mainly target tankers . The Straits have commercial and strategic importance. Despite being in the Roaring 40s, we had good . Answer (1 of 9): The straits of Magellan (red course above) is actually a considerable shortcut in distance. After a dash to Flinders Island, the crew of the 40-foot cutter Anastasia joined David for a nice hot "cuppa". During that time, several drones flew directly over the USS Russell. According to Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray, the video was definitively identified as an unmanned aerial system (UAS) following a second swarm event that occurred off the East Coast of the United States this year. The ships travel daily in opposite directions between Devonport and Spirit of Tasmania Quay in Geelong as overnight trips, with additional daytime trips during the peak summer season.[18]. Spend enough time at any boat ramp from Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Texas to Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota and you'll hear a common complaint: "Man, it's getting harder and harder to catch a bass.". Notably, the public affairs statement characterizes the behavior of the drones as dangerous, and not in accordance with the rules of the road or internationally recognized maritime customs.. A note on the slide states that the cruiser unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Bass Strait. The email further states that no counter unmanned aerial system (CUAS) measures were deployed during the first phase and that the USS Ralph Johnson was not at that time equipped with DRAKE or other C-UAS equipment. DRAKE refers to Northrop Grummans Drone Restricted Access Using Known EW (DRAKE) system, a portable anti-drone platform. Despite myths and legends of piracy, wrecking and alleged supernatural phenomena akin to those of the Bermuda Triangle, most disappearances . The Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Bunker Hill (BKH) noted as many as 11 drones operating nearby. Finally, the USS Ralph Johnson (RJN), another Arleigh Burke class destroyer, also prepared briefing slides about the incident. B. In the coming days the sea will remain rough. Although this is perhaps the first strange occurrence in the Bass Strait to be connected with potential UFO activity, two other very similar accounts took place in the 1900s. The details available in these official Navy documents stand at odds with the widespread perception of Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday's statement last year that the Navy was unaware of who was operating the unidentified aircraft. In the currently in-force IHO 1953 draft, it is instead associated with the Great Australian Bight; the Bight is numbered 62, while the Bass Strait is designated 62-A.[1]. They are a dangerous craft. CROSSING THE BASS STRAIT. That has caused issues in past races. These images were captured by the Ship Nautical Or Otherwise Photographic Interpretation and Exploitation team, or "SNOOPIE team." Updated June 16, 2022. [31], Rod Harris, Ian and Peter Richards are credited with the first kayak crossing in 1971. It is not man-made like the canals. Last year Marine General Kenneth McKenzie Jr. said that drones are "the most concerning tactical development since the rise of the improvised explosive device in Iraq." And that creates the hazard for yachts., In terms of treacherous water, its got to be up there with the most treacherous in the world., Its why Peter Langman, who will lead one of the smallest boats to Hobart, gets nervous thinking about it. And they all affect what happens on its surface. On the popular Australian soap Neighbours, one of its most dramatic storylines unfolded when a 1940s themed joy flight to Tasmania was sabotaged by a bomb. Battlefield commanders in Syria and Afghanistan have both had to constantly contend with drone threats. It has the capacity to carry up to 630 megawatts of electrical power across the strait. The unusual appearance of the objects led to widespread speculation that they were otherworldly UFOs, despite evidence that the Navy regarded the objects as conventional drones. Current weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology suggest light northeasterly winds tracking south for the first two days of the race, when the super maxis will travel through the strait. It is still one of Australias most well-known UFO cases on record. "Medically important" is the nice term for "you're going to . The veteran sailor, who had completed the race many times before, had seen the forecasts for strong winds on the journey south. 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