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Predicting Tsunamis?

Meg Beasley

on September 30, 2009 5:43 PM | Comments (3)

The world has certainly gotten smaller in some ways as global travel allows us access to more and more destinations. But just being able to get somewhere doesn't mean we can control the weather, or the seismic activity. A powerful underwater earthquake struck the South Pacific on Tuesday, generating a devastating tsunami across the islands of American Samoa and Samoa.

The magnitude 8.0 quake was followed by 29 smaller tremors throughout the region and spawned a series of four powerful waves that wiped out several villages, killing at least 89 people. Though nowhere near as severe as the December 2004 tsunami that left over 200,000 people dead in the Indian Ocean, this latest quake-generated behemoth wave is a reminder of the volatility of the ocean floor in this part of the world.

It also made me wonder, if we know that this part of the world is so prone to tectonic activity and the devastating waves it creates, can we do anything to predict it? It turns out that the answer is a qualified "yes". Currently, scientists track tsunamis with surface instruments such as devices on buoys that record small changes in sea-surface elevation. However, this method is spotty, as it requires that a reader be placed in the correct location, which could theoretically be anywhere. Also, this type of detection provides very little advance warning because it detects the wave as it passes.

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Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites

IT Blog

on April 6, 2009 4:37 PM | Comments (9)

The earthquake that hit L'Aquila, Italy has inflicted devastating damage to multiple sites of the city's artistic history. L'Aquila, the medieval capital of the Abruzzo region just northeast of Rome, was at the epicenter of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake early Monday morning. The death toll has reached over 90, and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has estimated 1,500 have been injured.

The full extent of the earthquake's damage has yet to be assessed, but Giuseppe Proietti, Secretary General of the Italian Culture Ministry commented to the news agency ANSA that the quake's toll has been "huge." Much of the city's treasured Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture is now gone.

The city's largest Romanesque church, the Santa Maria di Collemaggio, cracked at the transept and part of the nave has collapsed. The 13th-century basilica was the coronation site of Pope Celestine V in 1294. Other collapsed structures are the cupola of the 17th-century Anime Sante church and the bell tower of San Bernardino da Siena. In addition, it has been reported that the Porta Napoli, built in 1548 to honor Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is gone.

Concern has turned to the National Museum of Abruzzo. A reported collapse on the third floor of this 16th-century castle has prevented anyone from entering the building to evaluate damage to the museum's civic and religious works, which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

In addition to the deaths, tens of thousands have been left homeless. The National Italian American Foundation has set up a special Abruzzo relief fund to aid the victims of the earthquake. Although the Italian Red Cross has not yet asked for international assistance, the US International Response Fund will be taking donations.

--Giovanna Palatucci

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shobe on Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites: now the ancient structures have collapsed:( it's so sad...such beauty to have fallen down. There's t
tuscanway on Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites: Tuscany is my favorite. I just can't get over drinking wine in the vineyard it came from! In Italy!!
Jeff on Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites: >Daniel Wheelwright said: ... Rome?! Look at a map.
Daniel Wheelwright on Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites: I really hope that the people of rome and its famous architecture can recover from this!
Travel.justluxe adviser on Earthquake Damages Italian Historical Sites: I have great sympathy to those who suffered heavy loss because of this natural calamity that is beyo