Analysis of the global maritime transportation system and its resilience

The global maritime transportation system carries more than 90% of the foreign trade of the U.S. and many other industrial nations. The loss of a port or the blockade of a canal can cause serious economic consequences, particularly when prearranged deliveries cannot reach their destinations or have to take long detours. Therefore, the efficiency and operability of the global economy highly depends on the resilience of this system. In this thesis, we analyze the maritime transportation system as a network consisting of container ports, maritime choke-points and transportation routes between them. We apply the methods and metrics of the network science to find the most central nodes. Furthermore, we formulate a multi-commodity linear optimization model and perform an analysis on different scenarios involving the interdiction of one or more container ports or chokepoints. We contrast the results afforded by the two perspectives. In addition, we evaluate the potential effect of increasing capacity on the arctic sea routes.http://archive.org/details/analysisofglobal1094555598Major, German ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited