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Source: NASA’s Earth Observatory. Image acquired April 15, 2010. In April 2010, a volcanic eruption in Iceland released a large volume of ashes that spread toward Western Europe due to dominant wind patterns (see the above photo). Volcanic ash is composed of tiny jagged particles of rock, mostly silicates, which

Global wind patterns have both a historical and contemporary significance for transportation. Historically, wind patterns were linked with the trade routes of sailships. For instance, a relatively stable wind pattern over the North Atlantic enabled ships to set sail from Europe using the westbound dominant wind on the southern part

Wind is mainly the outcome of a thermodynamic principle and the Coriolis effect due to the counterclockwise rotation of the earth. Warm air around the equator is lifted, which creates a suction effect for air masses coming from higher (or lower) latitudes. The high-altitude air mass moves either north or

The geographical space of maritime transportation is primarily defined by its absolute barriers. 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, dominantly oceanic masses, but the profile of continental masses seriously constrains maritime access to different parts of the world. The maritime system can be summarized by four major

The global oceanic system has five major sea current gyres that act as large conveyor belts. These gyres are also correlated with dominant wind flows where they rotate clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator. During the era of sailship navigation, these gyres had a strong

A barrier is a feature that can impede mobility and comes in three forms:

Note: Ice extent is the average from the 1981-2010 period. Since then, the average ice extent has receded. Global climate change is offering new opportunities for international transportation networks, notably with a trend of receding ice around the North Pole. If this trend continues, parts of the Arctic could be

Transportation is not a science but a field of inquiry and application. As such, it tends to rely on specific methodologies since transportation is a performance-driven activity, and this performance can be measured and compared. Transportation planning and analysis are interdisciplinary by nature, involving civil engineers, economists, urban planners, and

Author: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue The physical environment imposes major constraints on transportation systems, in terms of what mode can be used, the extent of the service, its costs, capacity, and reliability. 1. Physical Constraints Since transportation involves a set of technologies designed to overcome the constraints of space, particularly distance,

There are four major types of challenges that affect transport systems: Capacity. A basic constraint concerns appropriate capacity, both along a transport route and at a terminal. The capacity of a transport system is often restricted by its circulation bottlenecks and expensive to improve. Transfer. Transfer points are crucial as