Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tectonic plates - Eqrthquate - Tsunami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake
The crust of our planet is cracked into seven large and many other smaller slabs of rock called plates, averaging about 50 miles thick. As they move (only inches per year), and depending on the direction of that movement, they collide, forming deep ocean trenches, mountains, volcanoes, and generating earthquakes.
Other userful info:
http://www.extremescience.com/PlateTectonicsmap.htm
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/
http://iri.columbia.edu/%7elareef/tsunami/
The crust of our planet is cracked into seven large and many other smaller slabs of rock called plates, averaging about 50 miles thick. As they move (only inches per year), and depending on the direction of that movement, they collide, forming deep ocean trenches, mountains, volcanoes, and generating earthquakes.
Other userful info:
http://www.extremescience.com/PlateTectonicsmap.htm
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/plate-tectonics.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/
http://iri.columbia.edu/%7elareef/tsunami/
Labels: Eqrthquate, Tectonic plates, Tsunami
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Data storage on a photon: Scientists say it's possible
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9008999
January 24, 2007 (TechWorld.com) -- Scientists are claiming a breakthrough in the ability to attach an image to a photon of light and retrieve it later.
Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York used their college logo, consisting of a few hundred pixels, for the experiment and were able to attach the image to a single photon of light. The photon or pulse of light was slowed down 100 nanoseconds and compressed to 1% of its original length. The scientists claim that the technology could one day store tremendous amounts of information very densely.
Researcher John Howell, assistant professor of physics at the university, is now working on delaying dozens of pulses for as long as several milliseconds, and as many as 10,000 pulses for up to a nanosecond in a 4-in. cell of cesium gas at a warm 100 degrees Celsius.
Previous optical buffering trials have found that most information carried by the light is lost. This latest achievement is important because engineers are trying to speed up computer processing and network speeds using light. Their systems slow down when they have to convert light to electronic signals to store information, even for a short while.
"It sort of sounds impossible, but instead of storing just ones and zeros, we're storing an entire image. It's analogous to the difference between snapping a picture with a single pixel and doing it with a camera -- this is like a 6-megapixel camera," Howell said.
The device was revealed in today's online issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.
"Now I want to see if we can delay something almost permanently, even at the single photon level," Howell said. "If we can do that, we're looking at storing incredible amounts of information in just a few photons."
January 24, 2007 (TechWorld.com) -- Scientists are claiming a breakthrough in the ability to attach an image to a photon of light and retrieve it later.
Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York used their college logo, consisting of a few hundred pixels, for the experiment and were able to attach the image to a single photon of light. The photon or pulse of light was slowed down 100 nanoseconds and compressed to 1% of its original length. The scientists claim that the technology could one day store tremendous amounts of information very densely.
Researcher John Howell, assistant professor of physics at the university, is now working on delaying dozens of pulses for as long as several milliseconds, and as many as 10,000 pulses for up to a nanosecond in a 4-in. cell of cesium gas at a warm 100 degrees Celsius.
Previous optical buffering trials have found that most information carried by the light is lost. This latest achievement is important because engineers are trying to speed up computer processing and network speeds using light. Their systems slow down when they have to convert light to electronic signals to store information, even for a short while.
"It sort of sounds impossible, but instead of storing just ones and zeros, we're storing an entire image. It's analogous to the difference between snapping a picture with a single pixel and doing it with a camera -- this is like a 6-megapixel camera," Howell said.
The device was revealed in today's online issue of the journal Physical Review Letters.
"Now I want to see if we can delay something almost permanently, even at the single photon level," Howell said. "If we can do that, we're looking at storing incredible amounts of information in just a few photons."
Labels: data storage, photon
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Huge Underground Ocean Found Beneath Asia
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070227-ocean-asia_2.html
Huge Underground "Ocean" Found Beneath Asia
Richard A. Lovett
for National Geographic News
February 27, 2007
A giant blob of water the size of the Arctic Ocean has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath eastern Asia, scientists report.
Researchers found the underground "ocean" while scanning seismic waves as they passed through Earth's interior
But nobody will be exploring this sea by submarine. The water is locked in moisture-containing rocks 400 to 800 miles (700 to 1,400 kilometers) beneath the surface.
"I've gotten all sorts of emails asking if this is the water that burst out in Noah's flood," said the leader of the research team, Michael Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis.
"It isn't an ocean. [The water] is a very low percentage [of the rock], probably less than 0.1 percent."
Given the region's size, however, that's enough to add up to a vast amount of water.
Earthquakes Reveal "Ocean"
Wysession and former graduate student Jesse Lawrence discovered the damp spot by observing how seismic waves from distant earthquakes pass through Earth's mantle.
The wet zone, which runs from Indonesia to the northern tip of Russia, showed up as an area of relatively weak rock, causing the seismic waves to lose strength much more rapidly than elsewhere.
The water got there by the process of plate tectonics, in which sections of the Earth's crust shift. This process caused the ocean bottom to be pulled beneath continental plates all around the Pacific Rim.
Normally, Earth's internal heat bakes the water out of the rocks before it gets more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) deep. The water then escapes upward as volcanic gas.
But along the eastern Pacific Rim, conditions allow the rock to be drawn much deeper before the moisture is cooked out.
The find may help scientists better understand the formation of volcanic regions such as those in Iceland, Hawaii, and Yellowstone National Park.
(Read related story: "Supervolcano Raises Yellowstone, Fuels Geysers, Study Says" [March 1, 2006].)
One theory suggests that these areas are volcanic because hot spots deep within the Earth's interior melt the underlying rock like a giant blowtorch, producing large quantities of lava.
Wysession says that the presence of water may allow such hot spots to melt more rock, thereby creating more lava.
"If you add water [to the rock] you can get an increased amount of melting," he said.
"There's a consensus that not all hot spots are equal. Some are hot spots; some are wet spots."
Wysession and Lawrence report their findings in a study published by the American Geophysical Union.
A Look at Earth's Fate
The new study also reveals clues to Earth's long-term fate, says Norman Sleep, a geophysicist at Stanford University who was not involved in the project.
When the planet was young, steam came from the deep interior to the surface as volcanic gas and eventually produced today's oceans. But as Earth's interior ages and cools, it becomes easier for water to return below the surface.
"So, rather than degassing, now [Earth] may be losing water into the mantle," Sleep said.
This gradual suction of water back below the surface may be a good thing for Earth's geological stability, he notes.
Underground water acts as a kind of lubricant that allows plates in Earth's crust to keep shifting at their present rate, Sleep explains.
This helps keep the thickness and elevation of the continents relatively stable.
If things changed, he said, "we'd have Pike's Peak boat tours."
See also:World's Longest Underground River Discovered in Mexico, Divers Say
Huge Underground "Ocean" Found Beneath Asia
Richard A. Lovett
for National Geographic News
February 27, 2007
A giant blob of water the size of the Arctic Ocean has been discovered hundreds of miles beneath eastern Asia, scientists report.
Researchers found the underground "ocean" while scanning seismic waves as they passed through Earth's interior
But nobody will be exploring this sea by submarine. The water is locked in moisture-containing rocks 400 to 800 miles (700 to 1,400 kilometers) beneath the surface.
"I've gotten all sorts of emails asking if this is the water that burst out in Noah's flood," said the leader of the research team, Michael Wysession of Washington University in St. Louis.
"It isn't an ocean. [The water] is a very low percentage [of the rock], probably less than 0.1 percent."
Given the region's size, however, that's enough to add up to a vast amount of water.
Earthquakes Reveal "Ocean"
Wysession and former graduate student Jesse Lawrence discovered the damp spot by observing how seismic waves from distant earthquakes pass through Earth's mantle.
The wet zone, which runs from Indonesia to the northern tip of Russia, showed up as an area of relatively weak rock, causing the seismic waves to lose strength much more rapidly than elsewhere.
The water got there by the process of plate tectonics, in which sections of the Earth's crust shift. This process caused the ocean bottom to be pulled beneath continental plates all around the Pacific Rim.
Normally, Earth's internal heat bakes the water out of the rocks before it gets more than 60 miles (100 kilometers) deep. The water then escapes upward as volcanic gas.
But along the eastern Pacific Rim, conditions allow the rock to be drawn much deeper before the moisture is cooked out.
The find may help scientists better understand the formation of volcanic regions such as those in Iceland, Hawaii, and Yellowstone National Park.
(Read related story: "Supervolcano Raises Yellowstone, Fuels Geysers, Study Says" [March 1, 2006].)
One theory suggests that these areas are volcanic because hot spots deep within the Earth's interior melt the underlying rock like a giant blowtorch, producing large quantities of lava.
Wysession says that the presence of water may allow such hot spots to melt more rock, thereby creating more lava.
"If you add water [to the rock] you can get an increased amount of melting," he said.
"There's a consensus that not all hot spots are equal. Some are hot spots; some are wet spots."
Wysession and Lawrence report their findings in a study published by the American Geophysical Union.
A Look at Earth's Fate
The new study also reveals clues to Earth's long-term fate, says Norman Sleep, a geophysicist at Stanford University who was not involved in the project.
When the planet was young, steam came from the deep interior to the surface as volcanic gas and eventually produced today's oceans. But as Earth's interior ages and cools, it becomes easier for water to return below the surface.
"So, rather than degassing, now [Earth] may be losing water into the mantle," Sleep said.
This gradual suction of water back below the surface may be a good thing for Earth's geological stability, he notes.
Underground water acts as a kind of lubricant that allows plates in Earth's crust to keep shifting at their present rate, Sleep explains.
This helps keep the thickness and elevation of the continents relatively stable.
If things changed, he said, "we'd have Pike's Peak boat tours."
See also:World's Longest Underground River Discovered in Mexico, Divers Say
Labels: Underground Ocean
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Chronology of Indonesia Disasters since 2004
Indonesia is at the boundary of four tectonic plates
The Indo-Australian Plate, The Pacific Plate, The Philippine Plate, The Eurasian Plate
March 6 (Reuters) - Two strong earthquakes killed at least 70 people and injured dozens on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday.
Following is a list of some of the other disasters to hit Indonesia since the Asian tsunami of 2004:
Dec 26, 2004 - Nearly 132,000 Indonesians are killed and more than 37,000 listed as missing after a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia and a tsunami triggered by it in the Indian ocean region. The toll in affected Indian Ocean countries reaches 230,000 dead.
Feb 21, 2005 - At least 96 are killed in landslide that sweeps through two West Java villages near a garbage dump.
March 28, 2005 - Nearly 1,000 are believed killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 hits the coast of Sumatra.
July 20, 2005 - Indonesia confirms first deaths from bird flu. To date the disease has killed 63 people in Indonesia, the world's highest bird flu death toll.
Sept 1, 2005 - Landslide on island of Sumatra kills 14 and leaves more than a dozen missing.
Sept 5, 2005 - Domestic airliner operated by local carrier Mandala Airlines crashes in residential area of Indonesia's third biggest city Medan, killing 102 aboard and 47 local residents in an inferno on the ground.
May 15, 2006 - Mount Merapi volcano erupts with clouds of hot gas and rains ash on surrounding areas.
May 27, 2006 - Earthquake rocks area around ancient royal city of Yogyakarta killing at least 5,000 and destroying or damaging 150,000 homes.
July 17, 2006 - A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills at least 550 people. At least 54,000 people are displaced.
Dec 30, 2006 - A ferry with at least 600 aboard sinks during a stormy night voyage as it travelled between Borneo and Java.
Jan 1, 2007 - An Adam Air passenger plane flying from Surabaya to Manado with 102 people aboard crashes into the sea off the west coast of Sulawesi.
Feb 22, 2007 - At least 42 people are killed when fire breaks out aboard a ferry which was heading from Jakarta to Bangka island off Sumatra.
March 6, 2007 - Two strong earthquakes kill at least 31 people and injure dozens in the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang.
March 7, 2007 - A passenger jet with more than 130 people on board caught fire when it landed in Indonesia, killing at least 20 people
Source: Reuters;
The Indo-Australian Plate, The Pacific Plate, The Philippine Plate, The Eurasian Plate
March 6 (Reuters) - Two strong earthquakes killed at least 70 people and injured dozens on Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday.
Following is a list of some of the other disasters to hit Indonesia since the Asian tsunami of 2004:
Dec 26, 2004 - Nearly 132,000 Indonesians are killed and more than 37,000 listed as missing after a 9.15 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia and a tsunami triggered by it in the Indian ocean region. The toll in affected Indian Ocean countries reaches 230,000 dead.
Feb 21, 2005 - At least 96 are killed in landslide that sweeps through two West Java villages near a garbage dump.
March 28, 2005 - Nearly 1,000 are believed killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 hits the coast of Sumatra.
July 20, 2005 - Indonesia confirms first deaths from bird flu. To date the disease has killed 63 people in Indonesia, the world's highest bird flu death toll.
Sept 1, 2005 - Landslide on island of Sumatra kills 14 and leaves more than a dozen missing.
Sept 5, 2005 - Domestic airliner operated by local carrier Mandala Airlines crashes in residential area of Indonesia's third biggest city Medan, killing 102 aboard and 47 local residents in an inferno on the ground.
May 15, 2006 - Mount Merapi volcano erupts with clouds of hot gas and rains ash on surrounding areas.
May 27, 2006 - Earthquake rocks area around ancient royal city of Yogyakarta killing at least 5,000 and destroying or damaging 150,000 homes.
July 17, 2006 - A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills at least 550 people. At least 54,000 people are displaced.
Dec 30, 2006 - A ferry with at least 600 aboard sinks during a stormy night voyage as it travelled between Borneo and Java.
Jan 1, 2007 - An Adam Air passenger plane flying from Surabaya to Manado with 102 people aboard crashes into the sea off the west coast of Sulawesi.
Feb 22, 2007 - At least 42 people are killed when fire breaks out aboard a ferry which was heading from Jakarta to Bangka island off Sumatra.
March 6, 2007 - Two strong earthquakes kill at least 31 people and injure dozens in the West Sumatra provincial capital of Padang.
March 7, 2007 - A passenger jet with more than 130 people on board caught fire when it landed in Indonesia, killing at least 20 people
Source: Reuters;
Labels: Indonesia, Tectonic plates
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