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Author Archive for: Bjorn Bergman

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Entries by Bjorn Bergman

Russian Tanker Falsifies AIS Data, Hides Likely Activity Around Malta and Cyprus

December 6, 2022 in /by

A first-of-its kind discovery of deceptive ship location broadcasts by a Russian tanker underlines a growing risk of unregulated vessel activity

The maritime world is likely entering an unprecedented period of deceptive shipping practices by tanker operators seeking to avoid sanctions. The recent announcement of a price cap on Russian crude—and a new ban on Western companies insuring Russian cargoes—sets the stage for an increase in clandestine activities by ocean vessels. Not only does this intentional deception provide cover for possibly illegal activity: The misuse of the AIS collision avoidance system jeopardizes safety at sea by ratcheting up the risk of collisions, oil spills, and other serious accidents.

Systematic data analysis reveals false vessel tracks

July 29, 2021 in , /by

Analysis of tracking data from Automatic Identification System broadcasts reveals vessel locations have been simulated for a number of ships, including military vessels. This false information could compromise vessel safety, decrease confidence in a crucial collision avoidance system and potentially spark international conflict.

Recently, analyst Bjorn Bergman came across a new category of false AIS ship positions: positions for vessels that were not present on the water anywhere. Yet these tracks appear extremely plausible. This new type of simulated AIS tracks represents a significant threat to data integrity and highlights the need for vigilance when interpreting AIS data.

SkyTruth’s Project Inambari Wins at Artisanal Mining Challenge for Rainforest Conservation

October 8, 2020 in , , , , /by

SkyTruth and partners at Wake Forest University and the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation win funding for a public map platform to track mining in the Amazon.

On September 30, SkyTruth, along with its partners at Wake Forest University and the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation, were selected as a winner at the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge for our proposal to develop a public map that tracks mining in the Amazon using satellite radar imagery. We call this effort Project Inambari after one of the rivers in the region that has been particularly devastated by illegal and unregulated gold mining.

AIS Ship Tracking Data Shows False Vessel Tracks Circling Above Point Reyes, Near San Francisco

May 26, 2020 in , , , /by

Analysis from SkyTruth and Global Fishing Watch shows ship tracks jumping thousands of miles from their true locations.

In December of 2019 SkyTruth reported on a number of locations on the Chinese coast (mostly oil terminals) where ship tracking positions from the automatic identification system (AIS) became scrambled as soon as ships approached within a few miles of a point on shore. Following the findings last year on the Chinese coast, analyst Bjorn Bergman began looking globally for any similar patterns in AIS tracking data around the world. While he hasn’t found the precise pattern observed at the Chinese oil terminals outside of China, he has found a somewhat different false AIS broadcast pattern which appears concentrated above Point Reyes northwest of San Francisco, California. Could this reflect an intentional disruption of the underlying global positioning system that AIS relies on, or is there some other explanation for this pattern?

Systematic GPS Manipulation Occuring at Chinese Oil Terminals and Government Installations

December 12, 2019 in , , /by

Analysis reveals precise location and timing of GPS interference but purpose remains unclear.

Last month, an article in MIT Technology Review described strange GPS anomalies in Shanghai. I began investigating, and have now found evidence of a novel form of GPS manipulation occurring at at least 20 sites on the Chinese coast during the past year.