TSUNAMI

What is Tsunami?

Tsunamis (pronounced soo-ná-mees), also known as seismic sea waves (mistakenly called “tidal waves”), are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite. A tsunami can move hundreds of miles per hour in the open ocean and smash into land with waves as high as 100 feet or more.

From the area where the tsunami originates, waves travel outward in all directions. Once the wave approaches the shore, it builds in height. The topography of the coastline and the ocean floor will influence the size of the wave. There may be more than one wave and the succeeding one may be larger than the one before. That is why a small tsunami at one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away.

All tsunamis are potentially dangerous, even though they may not damage every coastline they strike. A tsunami can strike anywhere along most of the U.S. coastline. The most destructive tsunamis have occurred along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

Earthquake-induced movement of the ocean floor most often generates tsunamis. If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, the first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued. Areas are at greater risk if they are less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of the shoreline. Drowning is the most common cause of death associated with a tsunami. Tsunami waves and the receding water are very destructive to structures in the run-up zone. Other hazards include flooding, contamination of drinking water, and fires from gas lines or ruptured tanks.

What Causes Tsunami?

1. Earthquakes

Most tsunami are caused by the large earthquakes on the sea floor when stabs of rock move past each other suddenly, causin the overlying water to move. The resulting waves move away from the source of the earthquake event,

2. Landslides

Underwater landslides can cause tsunami as can terrestrial land which slumps into the ocean,

3. Volcanic eruptions

Less common are tsunami initiated by volcanic eruptions. These occur in several ways:

• destructive collapse of coastal, island and underwater volcanoes which result in massive landslides.
• pyroclastic flows, which are dense mixtures of hot bloacks, pumice, ash and gas, plunging down volcanic slopes into the ocean and pushing water outwards.
• a caldera volcano collapsing after an eruption causing overlying water to drop suddenly.

Effects of Tsunami

1. Destruction

The amount of the energy and water contained in a huge tsunami can cause extreme destruction when it strikes land. The initial wave of a huge tsunami is extremely tall; however, most damage is not sustained by this wave. Most of the damage is caused by the huge mass of water behind the initial water front, as the height  of the sea keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into a coastal area. it is the power behind the waves, the endless rushing water that causes devastation and loss of life.

Destruction is caused by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wal of the water travellng at high speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying all with it, even if the wave did not look large.

2. Death

One of the biggest and worst effects of a tsunami is the cost of human life because unfortunately escaping a tsunami is nearly impossible. Hunderds and thousands of people are killed by tsunamis. Siince 1850 alone, tsunamis have been reponsible for the loss of more than 430,000 lives. There is very littlr warning before a tsunamis hits land. As the water rushes towards land, it leaves very little time to map an escape plan.

3. Disease

Tsunami waves ad the receding water are very destructive to structures in a run-up zone. The areas close to the coast are flooded with sea water, damaging the infrastuctrue such as sewage and fresh water supplies for drinking.

4. Environmental impacts

Tsunami not only destroy human life, but have a devastating effect on insects, animals, plants, and natural resources. A tsunami change the landscape. It uproots trees and plants and destroys animals habitats such as nesting sites for birds. Land animals are killed by drowning and sea animals are killed by pollution if dangerous chemical s are washed away into the sea, thus poisoning the marine life.

5. Cost

Massive costs hit communities and nations when a tsunami happens. Victims and surviviors of the tsunami need immediate help from rescue teams. Government around the world may help with the cost of bringing aid to devastated areas. National institutions, the United Nations, other international organizations, community groups or NGOs, and a variety of other and services.

Picture: Tsunami Japan 2011

Air Pollution

Air pollution

Presence of matter (gas, liquid, solid) or energy (heat,noise, radiation) whose nature, location,or quantity directly or indirectly alters characteristics or processes of any part of the environment, and causes (or has the potential to cause)damage to the condition, health, safety, or welfare of animals, humans, plants, or property. The air are surrounded by a blanket of air called atmosphere. Without the are, we will be burn by the intense heat of the sun during the day or frozen by the very cold temperature at night. Any additional gas, particles or odours that are introduced into the air to disort this natural balance and cause harm to living things can be called air pollution.

Causes by air pollution

 the connection between air pollution and human health is very closed and very related. Once your air are polluted there’s many things that can bring the harmful to the healthy. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is one of the world's biggest killers. The air pollution can bring the bad effects for those who had an asthma. The asthma is the one of disease about someone who had trouble in breathing. Asthma is a chronic, sometimes debilitating condition that has no cure.  Some of these fine particles can become lodged in the lungs and could trigger asthma attacks. Studies have shown that the number of hospitalizations for asthma increases when levels of particulate matter in the air rise. Coal-fired power plants, factories, and diesel vehicles are major sources of particulate pollution. Around 81 million people live in areas that fail to meet national air quality standards for particulate matter.

Coughing and wheezing are two of the mild problems associated with inhaling PM_2.5. However, this type of air pollution can also cause or worsen serious illnesses such as heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia. Exposure to PM_2.5 is associated with a significant rise in the number of premature deaths from respiratory and heart disease. It's also linked with more emergency room visits, hospitalization, and time off work and school. Long-term exposure in pregnant women can cause premature births and low birth weights.

Air pollution also give effect to the environmental. A relatively recently discovered result of air pollution are seasonal "holes" in the ozone layer in the atmosphere above Antarctica and the Arctic, coupled with growing evidence of global ozone depletion. This can increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth, where it damages crops and plants and can lead to skin cancerand cataracts. This depletion has been caused largely by the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from refrigerators, air conditioners, and aerosols. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 required that developed nations signing the accord not exceed 1986 CFC levels. Several more meetings were held from 1990 to 1997 to adopt agreements to accelerate the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances.

How to prevent air pollution

            Air pollution can be preventing by stop the open burning. Open burning is the one causes of air pollution. Open burning means burning of any materials in the open air without any enclosure nor any chimney to direct the smoke away so generated. For example, recovering metal from used electric wires or tyres, and disposal of wastes in construction sites and countryside by open burning are the common malpractice. As a member of society, you can help protect the environment by refraining from carrying out prohibited open burning activities, and to advise your staff and others to abide by the regulation. Any waste should be properly disposed of at landfills or recycled at a recycling plant with emission control equipment. If you notice any open burning activities, please report the incident to our Regional Offices (see Annex) immediately so that our

enforcement staff can take necessary legal action under the Regulation to stop further burning.

          Another ways to prevent is manage your heating and cooling. Turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer whenever you are at work, sleeping or on vacation. You can also turn your water heater down to 120 degrees to save power. Make sure your insulation is up to the recommended level for your area, and insulate pipes that pass through unheated spaces. Check to see that your windows and doors are not leaking warm or cool air. To make sure your furnace and air conditioners are running efficiently, perform regular maintenance.

Malaria

Haze

Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. The haze we see in our city skyline is caused by tiny particulates suspended in the atmosphere. At high concentrations, these particulates scatter and absorb sunlight resulting in diminished horizontal visibility thereby giving the atmosphere a characteristic opalescent appearance.

Seen from afar and depending upon the direction of view with respect to the sun, haze may appear brownish or bluish, while mist tends to be bluish-grey.

Haze over North China Plain

HAZE PARTICLE-THEIR ORIGIN

The particles that cause the haze phenomenon can originate from many sources, some of which are natural and some anthropogenic. Natural sources include the oceans, forests and ground surface. However the majority of the particulates are from human activities which include open burning, land clearing, vehicular use and combustion of fossil fuels in industrial boilers.

TRANSBOUNDARY HAZE

Haze has become one of the causes of international disputes among neighboring countries. Haze migrates to adjacent countries and thereby polluting other countries as well. In 2013, due to forest fire in Indonesia the capital city of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas became shrouded in a pall of noxious fumes, smelling of ash and coal for more than a week, in the country’s worst environmental crisis since 1997. 

The source of the haze is Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, where farmers, plantation owners and miners have set hundreds of fires in the forests to clear land during dry weather. Winds blow most of the fumes across the narrow Strait of Malacca to Malaysia, although parts of Indonesia are also affected. The 2015 Southeast Asian haze is an air pollution crisis affecting several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, and Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.

 collage showing various landmarks in the haze.
Top: An-Nur Great Mosque, Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Bottom-left: The Grand Mosque of Palangkaraya,Indonesia
Bottom-right: Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore

The haze has affected Indonesia from at least late June, eventually turning into an international problem for other countries from September. It is the latest occurrence of the Southeast Asian haze, a long-term issue that occurs in varying intensity during every dry season in the region. It is caused by forest fires resulting from illegal slash-and-burn practices, principally on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, which can then spread quickly in the dry season.

A NASA satellite image showing the extent of the haze on 24 September 2015.

WHAT CAUSES HAZE TO CLEAR?

Particulates in the atmosphere are removed through several processes. A proportion, particularly the heavier particles, settles to the ground or onto surfaces by gravitational sedimentation.

The finer particles are removed by a process called "rainout" involving condensation of water vapour onto minute particles to form water droplets eventually producing clouds. Particles are also removed below cloud by collision and adhesion with falling raindrops through another process called "washout".

Yet another removal mechanism involves the role of turbulence in transporting the haze particulates up to the higher levels of the atmosphere for more effective dispersion. In this case, widespread heavy rain/thunderstorms with strong updrafts and downdrafts are more effective, whereas light rain showers of short duration are usually quite inefficient in cleansing the atmosphere in a severe haze situation.

Earthquake

Introduction

 Earthquake is a surface tremor which occurs on the fault line of the Earth. The aftermath of an earthquake can be sometimes disastrous, often destroying surrounding, buildings and infrastructures. Earthquake result from shock waves generated by the movement of rock masses deep within the Earth and particularly happen near boundaries of tectonic plates.

Causes and Effects Of Earthquake

Figure1: Typical effects by scales number of earthquake

Earthquakes occur due to strong amplitudes of shaking on the ground. Earthquakes are usually causes when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. The strength of the earthquakes depends on the magnitude of earthquakes. The higher the magnitude of earthquakes, the stronger the tremor. Every effect of magnitude on the earthquake scale is demonstrated in Figure 1. Earthquakes with magnitudes below than 3.4 are generally safe. It is mild to extent that it can only be detected by seismometers (which also means humans will not be affected). Earthquakes with the said scale happens around 800,000 times per year, which means it is quite common. However, from 2010 to 2015, many first-world countries such as Japan, China and United State faced earthquakes with scales ranging between 5.5 to 7.9 Ritcher scale numbers. Landscape changes is believed to shift the Earth’s crusts, giving rise to occasion of an earthquake. Strong earthquakes take away humans lives and it brings great damage to a certain place. The Japan earthquake which occurred in 2011 is expected to cause damages amounting around tens of billions dollar. See:Cost of earthquake damage

The Nepal Earthquakes, 2015

Nepal, a landlocked country between China and India in the Himalaya range- being specific. It is located in an earthquake-prone area. On 25 April 2015, Nepal suffered a massive earthquake (recorded Ritcher scale of 7.8) 80 kilometres northwest of its capital, Kathmandu. More than 9,000 people died and 23,000 were injured as a result of this catastrophe. The Nepalese struggled hard in this traumatic event. To add salt to their wounds, another major earthquake of 7.3 magnitude struck 40 kilometres west to Kathmandu. A huge number of death and injury were recorded following the two massive natural disasters. See: Nepal earthquake overview 2015. The Nepalese government claimed damages nearly around $10 billion (which is nearly half of its gross domestic product (GDP) of $19.2 billion.

Figure 2: Earthquake happened in Nepal 2015

Surviving Earthquakes and Preventing Death during Earthquakes

  Despite the fact that earthquakes are disastrous, there are still ways to prevent deaths during the earthquake. One of the way is through developing stronger architectural features (e.g: earthquake-proof buildings). This measure is demonstrated as in the case of the 2010 Chile earthquake. Chile was struck by an earthquake whereby its tremblor was 10 times stronger than what shook Nepal. Nevertheless, it took less lives (around 500) compared to deaths in the Nepal earthquake this year. The reason which underlies its lesser death numbers is simply because Chile spent more money for construction as they realized the importance of buildings which could withstand the earthquake. See: How to Prevent More Deaths When the Earth Quakes. Earthquake preparations were assessed using the ERS developed by Spittal et al. the questionnaire’s developers reviewed the measures of preparation prior to earthquakes that has been published during the past 25 years and found limitations in the validity and reliability of the preparations outlined, other problems identified in preparative measure included lack in interpretative framework for guiding analysis and the lack of standard score intervals for guiding description. In order to address the limitations identified in previously developed Earthquake preparation measures, the authors developed the ERS to assess household preparedness for an earthquakes. The scale was found to be suitable for the current study as it has a high reliability level and an acceptable level of validity, as well as a calibrated interpretative framework. See: Earthquake Preparedness in Turkey

Figure 3: Earthquake Resistant Building

Conclusion

Although there may be plenty of ways to prepare for the Earthquake, actions must be taken in response to emergency by all levels. We cannot deny the vulnerability if human beings amidst the power of Mother Nature, which serves as a reminder to protect the Earth in any means possible. Perhaps, reducing exploration of ground materials may stabilize the Earth’s crust, thus reducing earthquakes.