Detection of Tsunami Wave Generation and Propagation Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

This paper describes the design and development of a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor system for monitoring tsunami waves generated in the deep ocean. An experimental setup was designed and fabricated to simulate the generation and propagation of a tsunami wave. The characteristics and efficiency of the developed FBG sensor was evaluated with a standard commercial Digiquartz sensor. For real time monitoring of tsunami waves, FBG sensors bonded to a cantilever is used and the wavelength shifts (Delta lambda(B)) in the reflected spectra resulting from the strain/pressure imparted on the FBGs have been recorded using a high-speed Micron Optics FBG interrogation system. The parameters sensed are the signal burst during tsunami generation and pressure variations at different places as the tsunami wave propagates away from the source of generation. The results obtained were compared with the standard commercial sensor used in tsunami detection. The observations suggest that the FBG sensor was highly sensitive and free from many of the constraints associated with the commercial tsunameter.

From Bathymetry to Bioshields: A Review of Post-Tsunami Ecological Research in India and its Implications for Policy

More than half a decade has passed since the December 26th 2004 tsunami hit the Indian coast leaving a trail of ecological, economic and human destruction in its wake. We reviewed the coastal ecological research carried out in India in the light of the tsunami. In addition, we also briefly reviewed the ecological research in other tsunami affected countries in Asia namely Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Maldives in order to provide a broader perspective of ecological research after tsunami. A basic search in ISI Web of Knowledge using keywords ``tsunami'' and ``India'' resulted in 127 peer reviewed journal articles, of which 39 articles were pertaining to ecological sciences. In comparison, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Maldives had, respectively, eight, four, 21 and two articles pertaining to ecology. In India, bioshields received the major share of scientific interest (14 out of 39) while only one study (each) was dedicated to corals, seagrasses, seaweeds and meiofauna, pointing to the paucity of research attention dedicated to these critical ecosystems. We noted that very few interdisciplinary studies looked at linkages between pure/applied sciences and the social sciences in India. In addition, there appears to be little correlation between the limited research that was done and its influence on policy in India. This review points to gap areas in ecological research in India and highlights the lessons learnt from research in other tsunami-affected countries. It also provides guidance on the links between science and policy that are required for effective coastal zone management.

Geoarchaeological Evidence of a Chola-Period Tsunami from an Ancient Port at Kaveripattinam on the Southeastern Coast of India

Literature of the ancient Chola Dynasty (A.D. 9th-11th centuries) of South India and recent archaeological excavations allude to a sea flood that crippled the ancient port at Kaveripattinam, a trading hub for Southeast Asia, and probably affected the entire South Indian coast, analogous to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami impact. We present sedimentary evidence from an archaeological site to validate the textual references to this early medieval event. A sandy layer showing bed forms representing high-energy conditions, possibly generated by a seaborne wave, was identified at the Kaveripattinam coast of Tamil Nadu, South India. Its sedimentary characteristics include hummocky cross-stratification, convolute lamination with heavy minerals, rip-up clasts, an erosional contact with the underlying mud bed, and a landward thinning geometry. Admixed with 1000-year-old Chola period artifacts, it provided an optically stimulated luminescence age of 1091 perpendicular to 66 yr and a thermoluminescence age of 993 perpendicular to 73 yr for the embedded pottery sherds. The dates of these proxies converge around 1000 yr B. P., correlative of an ancient tsunami reported from elsewhere along the Indian Ocean coasts. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Data acquisition and processing at ocean bottom for a Tsunami warning system

The design and development of a Bottom Pressure Recorder for a Tsunami Early Warning System is described here. The special requirements that it should satisfy for the specific application of deployment at ocean bed and pressure monitoring of the water column above are dealt with. A high-resolution data digitization and low circuit power consumption are typical ones. The implementation details of the data sensing and acquisition part to meet these are also brought out. The data processing part typically encompasses a Tsunami detection algorithm that should detect an event of significance in the background of a variety of periodic and aperiodic noise signals. Such an algorithm and its simulation are presented. Further, the results of sea trials carried out on the system off the Chennai coast are presented. The high quality and fidelity of the data prove that the system design is robust despite its low cost and with suitable augmentations, is ready for a full-fledged deployment at ocean bed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sheltered coastal environments as archives of paleo-tsunami deposits: Observations from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

The 2004 earthquake left several traces of coseismic land deformation and tsunami deposits, both on the islands along the plate boundary and distant shores of the Indian Ocean rim countries. Researchers are now exploring these sites to develop a chronology of past events. Where the coastal regions are also inundated by storm surges, there is an additional challenge to discriminate between the deposits formed by these two processes. Paleo-tsunami research relies largely on finding deposits where preservation potential is high and storm surge origin can be excluded. During the past decade of our work along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the east coast of India, we have observed that the 2004 tsunami deposits are best preserved in lagoons, inland streams and also on elevated terraces. Chronological evidence for older events obtained from such sites is better correlated with those from Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, reiterating their usefulness in tsunami geology studies. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population Recovery of Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis umbrosus following a Tsunami in the Nicobar Islands, India

Natural disasters pose a threat to isolated populations of species with restricted distributions, especially those inhabiting islands. The Nicobar long tailed macaque. Macaca fascicularis umbrosus, is one such species found in the three southernmost islands (viz. Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal) of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, India. These islands were hit by a massive tsunami (Indian Ocean tsunami, 26 December 2004) after a 9.2 magnitude earthquake. Earlier studies Umapathy et al. 2003; Sivakumar, 2004] reported a sharp decline in the population of M. f. umbrosus after thetsunami. We studied the distribution and population status of M. f. umbrosus on thethree Nicobar Islands and compared our results with those of the previous studies. We carried out trail surveys on existing paths and trails on three islands to get encounter rate as measure of abundance. We also checked the degree of inundation due to tsunami by using Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) on landsat imageries of the study area before and after tsunami. Theencounter rate of groups per kilometre of M. f. umbrosus in Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal was 0.30, 0.35 and 0.48 respectively with the mean group size of 39 in Great Nicobar and 43 in Katchal following the tsunami. This was higher than that reported in the two earlier studies conducted before and after the tsunami. Post tsunami, there was a significant change in the proportion of adult males, adult females and immatures, but mean group size did not differ as compared to pre tsunami. The results show that population has recovered from a drastic decline caused by tsunami, but it cannot be ascertained whether it has reached stability because of the altered group structure. This study demonstrates the effect of natural disasters on island occurring species.

Destin ou Destinée dans un contexte de fragmentation psychologique et sociale chez des jeunes mineurs isolés, immigrés d’Afrique Noire

Résumé: Cet article questionne la vision psychodynamique et psychosociale dans le parcours de vie de jeunes immigrés africains, vulnérables, placés en Maison d’Enfants à Caractère Social. Ce placement propose une formation professionnelle ou la poursuite des études, formations indispensables pour rester en France à condition de disposer de papiers en règle. La problématique de la fragmentation psychique et sociale chez ces jeunes dont le processus développemental est marqué par l’exil sera interrogée au regard des concepts tels que Destin et Destinée. Cette dernière sera aussi questionnée à la lumière du rôle et de la valeur du travail chez ces jeunes évoluant dans un nouveau contexte socio-économico-culturel qui tend à les stigmatiser. Par l’intermédiaire des données verbales et non verbales issues d’entretiens psychologiques, d’un groupe de parole et d’une grille d’observation inspirée d’un questionnaire, nous proposons une analyse des trajectoires personnelles au regard d’un processus d’identification. Cette analyse permet déjà d’aller au-delà des caractéristiques individuelles et de mettre en exergue le rôle capital qu’incarne le travail pour asseoir une identité sociale et sortir de l’état intemporel d’exil

A reparação do dano causado por membro indeterminado de um grupo: por uma relação de complementaridade entre o seguro e a responsabilidade civil

O dano e sua causa apresentam-se, em conjunto, como um dilema inerente a uma sociedade que incorporou o risco como produto do seu próprio desenvolvimento. Desde tempos imemoriais a solidariedade figura como instrumento imprescindível à composição das diferentes formas possíveis para minimizar os efeitos negativos do implemento de um risco seja através da transferência de suas consequências econômicas para quem, por sua atividade o produziu ou, esteja melhor preparado para suportá-lo. Entretanto, as formas privadas tradicionais, isoladamente mostram-se insuficientes para responder satisfatoriamente à necessidade de reparação dos danos na atualidade. Isto porque, via de regra, os instrumentos para tal foram desenvolvidas em uma perspectiva individual, tendo como premissa a identificação da causa do dano e, a partir daí, a possibilidade de imputação de responsabilidade. Contemporaneamente, contudo, os danos usualmente resultam de causas múltiplas e, mesmo quando decorrem de causa única, essa pode estar relacionada a um conjunto de agentes, de forma a não ser possível a individuação do ofensor. Neste contexto, torna-se imprescindível a construção de uma noção jurídica de causalidade, apta a solucionar questões críticas, tais como a do dano causado por membro indeterminado de um grupo. Esta noção, por seu turno, requer uma base solidária mais aprofundada, de sorte a permitir a reparação do dano injusto sofrido pela vítima, sem arruinar o ofensor. Afirma-se, então, que a reparação integral dos danos em uma sociedade de risco depende de uma nova concepção acerca da solidariedade: a solidariedade global. E, indo além, a fase atual impõe a necessidade de se repensar a própria base do sistema de responsabilidade civil, como decorrência necessária de uma nova orientação jus-filosófica, inspirada por valores personalistas e solidaristas e também em razão da própria evolução social que potencializou os problemas que gravitam em torno da solidariedade e do risco, notadamente em razão da coletivização das causas dos danos. Assim, se há cada vez mais solidariedade nas causas e nos danos, deve haver também solidariedade na reparação. Nessa perspectiva, a presente dissertação tratará da coletivização da responsabilidade civil em relação à causa dos danos, na hipótese de responsabilidade grupal, e em referência à reparação dos danos em uma perspectiva convergente dos institutos do seguro e da responsabilidade civil.

Os contextos de autonomia e vulnerabilidade: histórias e particularidades de mulheres vivendo com HIV/Aids

O estudo teve o objetivo de identificar os contextos de vulnerabilidade e autonomia de mulheres vivendo com HIV/Aids antes e depois do diagnóstico. Essas mulheres são participantes do Grupo Parceiras da Vida, atendidas pelo Núcleo de Epidemiologia e pelo Serviço Social do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto/UERJ. O referido grupo tem como proposta oferecer suporte e informação além de estimular o exercício da autonomia feminina. Nossa análise teve como referência os Direitos Humanos, entendendo que as desigualdades de gênero, propiciam uma série de violações de direitos das mulheres, que nos permitem refletir acerca dos processos de vulnerabilidade e autonomia vivenciados pelas mesmas. Foi utilizada a metodologia qualitativa, através do uso da história de vida de mulheres vivendo com HIV/Aids, bem como a observação participante das atividades do grupo de mulheres. Sendo assim, foram abordados os eixos temáticos da seguinte forma: Percepção social da doença na ótica de Gênero; Acesso e Política de Assistência as Pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids e a Dinâmica de rede sócio familiar: o grupo Parceiras da Vida. Identificamos que as inserções de classe, etnia, escolaridade, associados as particularidades do processo histórico vivido pelas mulheres, podem definir maiores ou menores magnitudes de situações de vulnerabilidade e autonomia. Constatamos, ainda, que o grupo Parceiras da Vida é referenciado enquanto grupo de apoio, bem como contribui para o fortalecimento e para a construção de sujeitos mais autônomos no processo de adoecimento pelo vírus HIV/Aids.

Studi Pendahuluan Kualitas Air Untuk Pengembangan Budidaya Perikanan di Kecamatan Sampoinit Aceh Jaya Pasca Tsunami

The preliminary study of water quality assessment for developing aquaculture effort was done in Sampoinit sub district for one week (1-8 December 2007). The objective of the present study is to evaluate the suitability of sites for developing of aquaculture. The explorative survey method was used in this study by determine of several sampling points at identified sites. The survey was covered four villages i.e. Meunasah Kulam, Crak Mong, Krueng No dan Pulo Raya. The results show that Meunasah Kulam, Crak Mong, Krueng No dan Pulo Raya were suitable for brackish water aquaculture of Scylla serrata, Mugil sp, Tilapia mossambica), Tilapia nilotica and Channos channos, while Crak Mong was suitable for freshwater aquaculture of Clarias batrachus and Channa striata. A semi intensive of aquaculture was suitable to be developed.

Remote Sensing and Field Assessment of Tsunami Effects on Coastal Pond Aquaculture in Northern Sumatra

An attempt was made to conduct spatial assessment of the pattern and extent of damage to coastal aquaculture ponds along the east coast of Aceh province in Sumatra, Indonesia, resulting from the tsunami event of 26 December 2004. High-resolution satellite imagery, i.e., SPOT-5 multispectral scenes covering the 700 km stretch of the coast, acquired before and after the tsunami, were digitally enhanced and visually interpreted to delineate pockets of aquaculture ponds that were discerned to be damaged and relatively intact. Field checks were conducted at 87 sites in the four eastern coastal districts. The results indicate that SPOT-5 multispectral imagery was minimally sufficient to detect areas of damaged and relatively intact aquaculture ponds, but the 10-m spatial resolution poses limitations to evaluating the extent of pond damage. Nevertheless, the 60 km swath of the imagery makes it reasonably affordable for large-area assessment to identify pockets of severe damage for targeting more detailed assessments. The image maps produced from a mosaic of the SPOT-5 scenes can also serve as base maps for spatial planning in the challenging task of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the disrupted livelihoods of the coastal communities.