Legal and Scientific Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> Legal and Scientific Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits

Legal and Scientific Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits

Edited by Myron H. Nordquist, John Norton Moore and Tomas H. Heidar

Books

Available
Publication year: 2004


Series:	Center for Oceans Law and Policy, 8
ISBN-13 (i)The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) has been changed from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2007:	978 90 04 13912 1
ISBN-10:	90 04 13912 5

Cover:	Hardback
Number of pages:	xvi, 472 pp.

List price:	€ 209.00 / US$ 295.00

Table of contents

Prefatory Note, Note by the Editors, Introduction and Welcoming Remarks, Tomas H. Heidar, Director Law of the Sea Institute of Iceland, John Norton Moore, Director Center for Oceans Law and Policy, Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson,Chairman of the Board, Law of the Sea Institute of Iceland.
Panel I: Overview, Myron H. Nordquist, Moderator,Overview of the UNCLOS Negotiations, John Norton Moore, Legal Aspects of Continental Shelf Limits, Tomas H. Heidar, Scientific Aspects of the Continental Shelf, Olav Eldholm, Filippos Tsikalas.
Panel II: Geomorphology and Geology, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Moderator, Natural Prolongation and the Concept of the Continental Margin for the Purposes of Article 76, Steinar Thor Gudlaugsson, Determination of the Foot of the Continental Slope as the Point of Maximum Change in the Gradient at Its Base, Dave Monahan, Determination of the Foot of the Continental Slope by Means of Evidence to the Contrary to the General Rule, Richard T. Haworth.
Panel III: Ridge Issues, Dolliver Nelson, Moderator, A Scientific Overview of Ridges Related to Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Philip A. Symonds, Harald Brekke, The Ridge Provisions of Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Harald Brekke, Philip A. Symonds, Treatment of Ridges and Borderlands Under Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: the Example of the Arctic Ocean, Arthur Grantz.
Panel IV: The Role of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and Submissions by Coastal States, Annick de Marffy, Moderator, The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf: Progress to Date and Future Challenges, Peter F. Croker, Emerging Issues in the Work of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, Alexei A. Zinchenko, The Case of Disagreement between a Coastal State and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, Gudmundur Eiriksson, Submissions of Coastal States to the CLCS in Cases of Unresolved Land or Maritime Disputes, Alex G. Oude Elferink, Delimitation of the Outer Continental Shelf Between States with Opposite or Adjacent Coasts, David A. Colson.
Panel V: Current Issues, Robert W. Smith, Moderator, The Outer Limit of the Continental Shelf in the Arctic Ocean, Ron Macnab, Evaluating U.S. Data Holdings Relevant to the Definition of Continental Shelf Limits, Larry Mayer, Martin Jakobsson and Andrew Armstrong, The Completion of an Article 76 Desktop Study Using Currently Available Data Sources, Robert van de Poll, Delimiting the Chinese Continental Shelves – Ways and Issues, Kuen-chen Fu, The International Seabed Authority ¬– Its Future Directions, Michael W. Lodge.
Panel VI: Resources of the Shelf, Mary Beth West, Moderator, Deepwater Oil Resources: The Expanding Frontier, Paul L. Kelly, New Developments in Oil Exploration in the Northeast Atlantic, Gareth J. Allinson, Non-Hydrocarbon Resources, Lindsay Parson, Seafloor Massive Sulfide Deposits and Hydrothermal Systems, Peter M. Herzig. Concluding Remarks, John Norton Moore. Keynote Address: International Oceans Governance and the Challenge of Implementation, Hans Corell.

Editorial Board

Co-publication with: The Center for Oceans Law and Policy

The legal and scientific aspects of continental shelf limits are of growing importance to those concerned with the international law of the sea. It is rare that the current thinking of both leading lawyers and scientists are brought together in one volume. Among the topics raised in this volume are: geomorphology and geology; ridge issues; Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf; shelf resources and current issues, such as the outer limit of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean, evaluating U.S. data holdings relevant to the definition of continental shelf limits, delimiting China’s continental shelves and future directions of the International Seabed Authority. Lastly, the Under Secretary General for Legal Affairs, United Nations, H.E. Hans Corell, provides a strategic overview on the challenges in implementing international ocean governance. Another unique feature of the volume is that a CD is placed in the back cover containing visual materials not included in the printed text.

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