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December 29, 2004
Forces of nature ....
The earthquake which has touched off the tragedy in South East Asia and the Indian Ocean area provoked me to look up the geological information for that area. I was well aware, having visited Jakarta and several of the cities in that region, that there is a long chain of very active volcanoes stretching the length of the chain of Islands that forms the Indonesian Archipelago and the peninsula that is Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. On two occasions when I have flown out to parts East and crossed that chain, the flight has diverted to avoid one or another "clearing its throat", and the ash plume has been, even from the air, spectacular!
Not unnaturally the volcanoes are associated with a tectonic faultline similar in activity to the one on the other side of the landmass and islands known as the Pacific Rim or sometimes, more dramatically, "The Ring of Fire". There are several large and very active volcanoes on Sumatra; at least two within spitting distance of Jakarta itself. As we have just been reminded, in comparasion to the forces our own planet is able to harness, and occasionally unleash on us, our achievements, our very existence is almost as nothing by comparasion.
The tragedy of the latest demonstration of this power is that it has hit a corner of the world that is both "paradise" to the tourist and home to some of the world's poorest people. We know the danger, yet some of us at least have little choice but to continue living under, around, or on top of natural hazards that are potentially far more devastating to us than the entire world's arsenal of nuclear weapons.
If my maps are at all accurate (and they consist of a very useful atlas which includes details of plate tectonics), then this faultline is one which runs up the Bay of Bengal and continues in a great arc into Eastern Mongolia having intersected or joined others along the way. A recent article on "rift formation" in one of the many "scientific" style magazines I read mentions that a new Rift Valley appears to be forming in that region and that these can be associated with mass extinctions as they give rise to another phenomenon - a blowout of magma gasses trapped under rock domes, then released during powerful quakes. These leave a characteristic crater that resembles a metoer strike - except when examined closely the "meteor" has been fired out of the ground and not struck it!
Another item from the same source mentioned that powerful earthquakes frequently set off "earthquake storms" as the shockwave causes other parts of the crust to build tensions or to release tensions suddenly. On a purely scientific note it will be very interesting to see whether this one does the same - and where these will strike. Sadly, I would expect the real devastation over the next few months to increase as faults associated with this one give way and produce yet more damage on the surface all along the Andaman Trench and the associated faults. On a humanitarian point, we should prepare for this and try to have the resources available to render relief as soon as possible after the next hit.
Were I a betting man, I would put my money on a major volcanic outburst in the next few months, or a large quake somewhere under Bangladesh or in South West China. As I am not, I will continue to pray for the dead, the dying, the devastated, and the relief workers, and supporting them as I can. I will be praying in particular for all those of my colleagues (and I make no distinction here as to national services or boundaries) in the Emergency Services of those countries hit by this latest outburst of nature, who must, frequently, with little in the way of madern equipment or training, deal with this and its aftermath. I hope that some of our "modernisers" will take note that their reductions and inadequate provisions for watered-down training and qualification will not prepare us for anything like this.
It has certainly been an interesting year for natural disasters; Fire, Wind, Water - all essential to our well being and our current existence in one way or another, yet, when combined as in a Hurricane, in a volcanic outburst, or a Tsunami, are the most devasting forces known to us. The Florida hurricanes which have also brought untold misery and hardship to the Caribbean island Nations are barely out of our minds when this latest event has brought death and destruction on an almost unimaginable scale.
A sharp reminder, perhaps, that we are not the masters of creation. Let us hope it is a timely one.
Posted by The Gray Monk at December 29, 2004 09:39 AM