TSUNAMI DISASTER

TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI

A tsunami (pronounced sue-nahm-ee) is a series of huge waves that can cause great devastation and loss of life when they strike a coast.

Tsunamis are caused by an underwater earthquake, a volcanic eruption, an sub-marine rockslide, or, more rarely, by an asteroid or meteoroid crashing into in the water from space. Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, but not all underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis - an earthquake has to be over about magnitude 6.75 on the Richter scale for it to cause a tsunami. About 90 percent of all tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean.

Many tsunamis could be detected before they hit land, and the loss of life could be minimized, with the use of modern technology, including seismographs (which detect earthquakes), computerized offshore buoys that can measure changes in wave height, and a system of sirens on the beach to alert people of potential tsunami danger.

NOTE: If you see the water recede quickly and unexpectedly from a beach (this is called drawback), run toward higher ground or inland -- there may be a tsunami coming. Also, if you are on the coast and there is an earthquake, it may have caused a tsunami, so run toward higher ground or inland. Some beaches have tsunami warning sirens -- do not ignore them. The first wave in a tsunami is often not the largest; if you experience one abnormally-huge wave, go inland quickly -- even bigger waves could be coming soon.

The Word Tsunami:
The word tsunami comes from the Japanese word meaning "harbor wave." Tsunamis are sometimes incorrectly called "tidal waves" -- tsunamis are not caused by the tides (tides are caused by the gravitational force of the moon on the sea). Regular waves are caused by the wind.

A tsunami starts when a huge volume of water is quickly shifted. This rapid movement can happen as the result of an underwater earthquake (when the sea floor quickly moves up or down), a rock slide, a volcanic eruption, or another high-energy event.

After the huge volume of water has moved, the resulting wave is very long (the distance from crest to crest can be hundred of miles long) but not very tall (roughly 3 feet tall). The wave propagates (spreads) across the sea in all directions; it can travel great distances from the source at tremendous speeds.
Related links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami

NUCLEAR AND RADIATION DISASTER

 nuclear and radiation accident 

A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility. Examples include lethal effects to individuals, large radioactivity release to the environment, or reactor core melt." The prime example of a "major nuclear accident" is one in which a reactor core is damaged and large amounts of radiation are released, such as in the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986.

The likelihood and potential impact of nuclear accidents has been a topic of debate practically since the first nuclear reactors were constructed. It has also been a key factor in public concern about nuclear facilities. Many technical measures to reduce the risk of accidents or (should one occur) to minimize the amount of radioactivity released to the environment have been adopted. Despite the use of such measures, "there have been many accidents with varying impacts as well near misses and incidents".

Stuart Arm states, "apart from Chernobyl, no nuclear workers or members of the public have ever died as a result of exposure to radiation due to a commercial nuclear reactor incident.

Benjamin K. Sovacool has reported that worldwide there have been 99 accidents at nuclear power plants. Fifty-seven accidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster, and 57% (56 out of 99) of all nuclear-related accidents have occurred in the USA. Relatively few accidents involved fatalities.

Serious radiation accidents include the radiotherapy accident in Costa Rica,radiotherapy accident in Zaragoza, radiation accident in Morocco, Goiania accident. radiation accident in Mexico City, radiotherapy unit accident in Thailand, and the Mayapuri radiological accident in India.

The International Atomic Energy Agency maintains a website reporting recent accidents: .

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and do useful work. Nuclear Electric Plants, Nuclear Ships and Submarines use controlled nuclear energy to heat water and produce steam, while in space, nuclear energy decays naturally in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Scientists are experimenting with fusion energy for future generation, but these experiments do not currently generate useful energy.

Cattenom Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear power provides about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity. Also, more than 150 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion have been built.

Some serious nuclear and radiation accidents have occurred. Nuclear power plant accidents include the Chernobyl disaster (1986), Fukushima I nuclear accidents (2011), and the Three Mile Island accident (1979). Nuclear-powered submarine mishaps include the K-19 reactor accident (1961), the K-27 reactor accident (1968), and the K-431 reactor accident (1985). International research is continuing into safety improvements such as passively safe plants,and the possible future use of nuclear fusion.

Nuclear power is controversial and there is an ongoing debate about the use of nuclear energy. Proponents, such as the World Nuclear Association and IAEA, contend that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions. Opponents, such as Greenpeace International and NIRS, believe that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment. Japan's Fukushima disaster has prompted a rethink of nuclear energy policy worldwide, underlined by Germany's decision to close all its reactors by 2022, and Italy's vote to ban nuclear power for decades.

Related links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_radiation_accidents

STORM

Storm 

Storms are created when a center of low pressure develops, with a system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as the cumulonimbus. Small, localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller disturbances such as dust devils and whirlwinds.
Trunderstorm
Thunderstorms result from the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air. They can occur inside warm, moist air masses and at fronts. As the warm, moist air moves upward, it cools, condenses, and forms cumulonimbus clouds that can reach heights of over 20 km. As the rising air reaches its dew point, water droplets and ice form and begin falling the long distance through the clouds towards the Earth's surface. As the droplets fall, they collide with other droplets and become larger. The falling droplets create a downdraft of air that spreads out at the Earth's surface and causes strong winds associated with thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms can generally form and develop in any geographic location, perhaps most frequently within areas located at mid-latitude when warm moist air collides with cooler air.^[2] Thunderstorms are responsible for the development and formation of many severe weather phenomena. Thunderstorms, and the phenomena that occur along with them, pose great hazards to populations and landscapes. Damage that results from thunderstorms is mainly inflicted by downburst winds, large hailstones, and flash flooding caused by heavy precipitation. Stronger thunderstorm cells are capable of producing tornadoes and waterspouts.
Related links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm

 tornadoes storm

DROUGHT DISASTER

A drought (or drouth [archaic]) is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage^[1] and harm the local economy.^[2]
Periods of drought can have significant environmental, agricultural, health, economic and social consequences. The effect varies according to vulnerability. For example, subsistence farmers are more likely to migrate during drought because they do not have alternative food sources. Areas with populations that depend on subsistence farming as a major food source are more vulnerable to drought-triggered famine.
Drought can also reduce water quality, because lower water flows reduce dilution of pollutants and increase contamination of remaining water sources.
Relative links:http://www.unicef.org/drought/

FLOOD DISASTER

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, which overflows or breaks levees, with the result that some of the water escapes its usual boundariesWhile the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, it is not a significant flood unless such escapes of water endanger land areas used by man like a village, city or other inhabited area.
Floods can also occur in rivers, when flow exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are placed in natural flood plains of rivers. While flood damage can be virtually eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, since time out of mind, people have lived and worked by the water to seek sustenance and capitalize on the gains of cheap and easy travel and commerce by being near water. That humans continue to inhabit areas threatened by flood damage is evidence that the perceived value of living near the water exceeds the cost of repeated periodic flooding.

Floodwaters in Australia's Queensland state created havoc in at least 22 cities and towns throughout the region grappling with several weeks of devastating rains, officials said Monday.

At least three people have been killed in the flooding since Saturday, and Queensland officials said as many as 10 have died in weather-related incidents beginning in late November.
Relative links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods_in_Malaysia#List_of_flash_floods_areas_in_Malaysia

EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

March 11, 2011, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck offshore about 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of Sendai, the capital city of Japan's Miyagi Prefecture, generating a tsunami that devastated the low-lying coastal city of about 1 million residents.

• The earthquake is called the Niigata earthquake because of the extensive damage caused by the shock in this town in spite of it being situated about 50 km south of the epicenter; it was one of the two great destructive earthquakes of 1964. Although the number of victims was fortunately small (36 dead or missing, 385 injured), the material damage was great: 3,534 houses destroyed, 11,000 houses damaged. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 57 km below the Sea of Japan near the island of Awa-shima, in the deepest of the old formations in the tectonic zone called "internal arc of Honshu." A tsunami generated by the earthquake ravaged the west coast of Honshu, and more particularly the town of Niigata, where the wave reached a height of 1.8 meters; the tsunami was more than 4 meters high at Iwafune on the coast near the epicenter, and 3 meters on the coasts of Sado Island. Abridged from Roth�, J.P., 1969, The seismicity of the earth, 1953-1965: Paris, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 336 p.

• On June 17, 1929 (local date; June 16 G.C.T.) a major earthquake occurred on the South Island. Publications have referred to this as the earthquake of West Nelson (the province), Buller (a county), and Murchison (the next county, and the town most affected.) This was the first large earthquake affecting populated areas of New Zealand since 1855; previously only 11 persons are known to have been killed during earthquakes in New Zealand, but 17 were killed in 1929.

Murchison at the time had a population of about 300. Most of its buildings were one-story wood structures; some of these were shifted or badly racked. 'The most striking wreck was a two story store . . . , which leaned dangerously to one side and later collapsed altogether under the aftershocks.' At and near Westport, a town of about 4000 over 30 miiles to the west, there were more brick structures and consequently more damage. Shaking was perceptible over a large area, including most of the South Island and extending far beyond Wellington into the North Island to distances of over 250 miles."
Relative links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake

HOW SICK IS THE EARTH?

Some people become accustomed to frequent news of danger to the environment, perhaps even thinking, 'That is not of great concern as long as it does not affect me.' However, whether we realize it or not, the wholesale destruction of the earth's environment affects the vast majority of people. Since contamination of our planet is now so pervasive, it likely already affects more than one aspect of our lives. Thus, all should be concerned about the health and preservation of our home. After all, where else would we live?

Just how widespread is the problem? How sick is the earth? How are people's lives affected? Let us take a look at just a few factors that help us to understand why our earth is not just mildly indisposed but, instead, seriously ill.

THE OCEANS: Large sections of ocean are overfished. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme says that "70 percent of marine fisheries are so exploited that reproduction cannot or can just barely keep up." For example, populations of cod, hake, haddock, and flounder in the North Atlantic fell by as much as 95 percent between 1989 and 1994. If this continues, what will it mean for millions who depend on the sea as a major source of their food?

CHEMICALS: During the past 100 years, close to 100,000 new chemicals have come into use. These chemicals find their way into our air, soil, water, and food. Relatively few of them have been tested for their health effects on humans. However, of the ones that have, a significant number have been found to be carcinogenic or to cause disease in other ways.

FORESTS: Deforestation has many negative sides to it. Loss of trees results in a reduction in the earth's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, and this is said to be a cause of global warming. Certain species of plants, the potential source of lifesaving medicines, will disappear. Nevertheless, forest destruction continues unabated. In fact, the rate of destruction has increased in recent years. Some authorities feel that if this persists, tropical forests could disappear in about 20 years.

TOXIC WASTES: Dumping of harmful materials both on land and in the sea is a serious problem that has the potential for bringing great harm to millions. Radioactive wastes, heavy metals, and by-products of plastics are among elements that can cause abnormalities, sickness, or death in humans and animals.

Relative links:http://www.watchtower.org/e/20031122a/article_01.htm



HUMAN NATURE DISASTER

HOWEVER, this is not a human patient. It is our home—the earth. The above scenario well illustrates what is happening to our planet. Dirty air, global warming, polluted waters, and toxic wastes are just a few of the maladies of our very ill earth.

There are many more threats to our environment:. earthquake, volcano ,tsunami , drought , flood, thunderstorm, and all this nature disaster  already mentioned suffice to show that the earth is really sick. Can the patient be saved, or is the battle already lost?