In this review, I will point some problems with Maltin's book as I see them. Maltin appears to be a nice person, but even nice persons could write unworthy books. I will make a few posts to make them more readable and to let an opportunity to respond if somebody wishes to. So let's start.
In his book “A very deceiving night”, Maltin alleges that both the collision with the iceberg and the failed communications between Titanic and Californian were caused by a superior mirage. A mirage theory that was first introduced in 1992 by Captain James de Coverly, Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, is definitely worth exploring. Maltin, however, does not appear to be interested in exploring. Instead, he declares that his book provides “the closure”,“perhaps” provides “the peace of mind” to “the descendents of those who died on, or survived” in the Titanic’s disaster. “This book proves the presence of abnormal refraction – or mirage – at Titanic’s crash site and reveals its previously unseen but crucial role, shedding new light on the tragedy”, he writes. No, this book proves no such thing.
Arctic High
In his book Maltin claims that Titanic sank “in the centre of a 1035mb Arctic High”. The presence or the absence of Arctic High is important in proving or disproving the presence of a mirage because thermal inversion (that might result in a mirage) needs some conditions to form and Arctic High could provide such conditions. Maltin writes:
To support this allegation Maltin provides weather chart for 1300 GMT on April 15 (a few hours after Titanic sank). identical to the one below.
As you see this weather chart is for 1300 GMT of April 15 (a few hours after the Titanic sank). If Arctic High were present at the time of the collision and the sinking, and still was there a few hours later at 1300 GMT as the chart shows then there would not have been early morning breeze described by many survivors. No wind could develop in the middle of Arctic High. The breeze described by the survivors is a good indication that the Arctic High moved in the area in the morning, a few hours after the Titanic sank. In addition, I did create some weather maps (using NOAA-CIRES Reanalysis project) and they too clearly show that the centre of Arctic High was nowhere close to the disaster site at the time of the collision and the sinking. Therefore, Arctic High could be safely excluded as a mechanism that created thermal inversion. This mistake with the Arctic High is probably an honest mistake, but it is a serious mistake nevertheless.The absence of the Arctic High alone might exclude the presence of super refraction.
To be continued
In his book “A very deceiving night”, Maltin alleges that both the collision with the iceberg and the failed communications between Titanic and Californian were caused by a superior mirage. A mirage theory that was first introduced in 1992 by Captain James de Coverly, Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, is definitely worth exploring. Maltin, however, does not appear to be interested in exploring. Instead, he declares that his book provides “the closure”,“perhaps” provides “the peace of mind” to “the descendents of those who died on, or survived” in the Titanic’s disaster. “This book proves the presence of abnormal refraction – or mirage – at Titanic’s crash site and reveals its previously unseen but crucial role, shedding new light on the tragedy”, he writes. No, this book proves no such thing.
Arctic High
In his book Maltin claims that Titanic sank “in the centre of a 1035mb Arctic High”. The presence or the absence of Arctic High is important in proving or disproving the presence of a mirage because thermal inversion (that might result in a mirage) needs some conditions to form and Arctic High could provide such conditions. Maltin writes:
However, examination of the weather records for Titanic’s wreck site on the night of the sinking reveals that she sank in the centre of a 1035mb Arctic High. This was the highest pressure in the northern hemisphere at that time and is a most unusually high pressure to be experienced on the North Atlantic in April.
To support this allegation Maltin provides weather chart for 1300 GMT on April 15 (a few hours after Titanic sank). identical to the one below.
As you see this weather chart is for 1300 GMT of April 15 (a few hours after the Titanic sank). If Arctic High were present at the time of the collision and the sinking, and still was there a few hours later at 1300 GMT as the chart shows then there would not have been early morning breeze described by many survivors. No wind could develop in the middle of Arctic High. The breeze described by the survivors is a good indication that the Arctic High moved in the area in the morning, a few hours after the Titanic sank. In addition, I did create some weather maps (using NOAA-CIRES Reanalysis project) and they too clearly show that the centre of Arctic High was nowhere close to the disaster site at the time of the collision and the sinking. Therefore, Arctic High could be safely excluded as a mechanism that created thermal inversion. This mistake with the Arctic High is probably an honest mistake, but it is a serious mistake nevertheless.The absence of the Arctic High alone might exclude the presence of super refraction.
To be continued
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