ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Other

Millions of journal entries from 18th and 19th century ship logs reveal

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
December 16, 2014 - Updated on April 29, 2023
in Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Popular voice assistants like Siri or Alexa easily hacked with ultrasonic commands
Fossil Friday: new species of ancient rhino was taller than a giraffe, heavier than 4 elephants
Why some countries drive on the left and some on the right
She was the first woman to get PhD in Computer Science – and she was a nun

Take millions of data points, each one a geolocated entry plucked from a digitised collection of 18th- and 19th-century ships’ logs, paint them black on a white canvas, and what do you get? This magnificent view of the ocean!

All voyages from the ICOADS US Maury collection. Ships tracks in black, plotted on a white background, show the outlines of the continents and the predominant tracks on the trade winds. Original source here.

There may be no features on this map, but you can clearly distinguish the continents and the oceans. The geographically trained eye will also notice something else – some trade routes are missing. That’s right, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the eastern half of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the northern shores of Siberia, Canada and Australia don’t have any data around them, because there was just too little data available. This doesn’t mean that they weren’t circulated trade routs, but the ships didn’t keep any logs, or the logs didn’t survive.

The center of the trade route interest is clearly North America, but there’s also something weird going on in the Pacific. You can see three sets of horizontal markings off South America’s equatorial bulge. What’s up with those? There are no obvious destinations at the end of those lines… so then why then were ships traveling there? A reader from BigThink suggests:

“These are the doldrums, the point where the trade winds rarely blow. The sail ships of the age simply got stuck in that region until a random weather condition comes up and throws some gust of wind that can take the ship out of there”.

The word doldrum is pretty strange one – it comes from historical maritime usage, in which it refers to those parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean affected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a low-pressure area around the equator where the prevailing winds are calm. Basically, you have no winds and nothing to do; of course, with modern engines, you no longer require favorable trade winds. Today, the word doldrum is used figuratively, signifying a state of inactivity, mild depression, listlessness or stagnation.

A similar map today would look like this:

Image via Wiki Commons.

As you can see, there are major differences, brought by the channels of Panama and Suez which basically changed the way maritime shipping is done, and also engines which eliminated the need for trade winds.

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Culture & Society

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

byAlexandra Gerea
2 days ago
Mind & Brain

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

byTibi Puiu
2 days ago
Anthropology

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago
Future

Swarms of tiny robots could go up your nose, melt the mucus and clean your sinuses

byMihai Andrei
2 days ago

Recent news

What’s Seasonal Body Image Dissatisfaction and How Not to Fall into Its Trap

June 28, 2025

Why a 20-Minute Nap Could Be Key to Unlocking ‘Eureka!’ Moments Like Salvador Dalí

June 28, 2025

The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian

June 27, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.