Navigational Chart Formats Across Linked Data Platforms
In the realm of maritime navigation, the preservation of navigational charts is a crucial task to ensure the safety and efficiency of commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and equipment manufacturers alike. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) holds a vast collection of these charts in various formats, including BSB, Intergraph Raster, and S-57 Electronic Navigation Charts.
**BSB (BSB File Format)**: This compressed raster format is widely used for storing and displaying nautical charts in navigation software. To preserve BSB files, it's essential to ensure they remain accessible and viewable using compatible software, both now and in the future.
**Intergraph Raster Format**: Although more commonly associated with geographic information systems (GIS), this format is also used for raster data in the context of navigational charts. Preserving these files would involve similar strategies to BSB, focusing on compatibility and accessibility.
**S-57 Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC)**: S-57 is an international standard for vector data used in electronic navigation charts, widely adopted for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). Preserving these charts involves updating them regularly to reflect changes in waters and ensuring compatibility with future ECDIS systems.
## Maintaining Chart Preservation
Preserving navigational charts involves maintaining their integrity and readability over time. This includes regular backups and archiving in different formats, ensuring the ability to convert between formats as software and hardware evolve, and adhering to international standards like S-57 to maintain compatibility across different systems.
## The Digital Preservation Framework
NARA's Linked Open Data, including the Digital Preservation Framework, is available in Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle) and has the .ttl file extension. This framework, which includes the same elements as the version on GitHub, can serve as test criteria for tools and processes used in format transformations.
In summary, while there isn't a specific "Navigational Charts Preservation Plan" detailed in the search results, preserving these charts involves maintaining their accessibility and usability across different formats and systems. The various file formats discussed, such as BSB, Intergraph Raster, and S-57 ENCs, each require unique strategies for preservation to ensure their continued use in maritime navigation.
Technology plays a significant role in maintaining the preservation of navigational charts, with data-and-cloud computing facilitating format transformations as software and hardware evolve. The National Archives and Records Administration's Digital Preservation Framework, in the form of Resource Description Framework Terse RDF Triple Language (RDF Turtle) files, serves as a practical example of such technology aiding in the preservation of diverse chart formats.
