king
25-06-2007, 02:27 AM
The Smart Solution:
Back in Feb 2005, the BBC Monitoring Service for the FSU, reported that Russian scientists had created, what I would consider a scientific breakthrough - an earthquake prediction and prevention system (see BBC translated story below). If true and if this story is confirmed, it would be a major advance. These scientists claim that they've been able to trigger earthquakes in a smaller, controlled and incremental fashion -"...We moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly...." vs an "all or nothing" magnitude 8+ disaster.
This leads to the idea of taming Mother Nature....well, you read the story and make your own conclusions....I still have many unanswered questions about benefits, impacts and hazards.
i.e if earthquakes are one of Nature's reset Buttons (hurricanes are another) , and we tamper with that cycle, what would happen in the long run?
i.e. what are the liability issues if it becomes uncontrollable?
[update-Oct 31, 2005; ]
N.B.
Even after a month of digging, I have yet to confirm the BBC story below, or find the American scientists that are cited in this story. The research does not appear to be published in any English peer-reviewed acedemic publication -not unusual for Russia. This may be just a working hypothesis, and Russian scientists may be trying to create some spin and hype to squeeze some money from a chronically underfunded Russian Scientific establishment. Hype or not, this idea should be on your environmental scanning radar screen, as a early warning signal to a new approach to earthquake prevention. -Walter Derzko]
[update: Nov. 15, 2005]
see here
Walter Derzko
Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on the emerging Smart Technologies and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy
(Next I'll post an idea on how to brake and tame hurricanes.)
Russian scientists appeal for state funding for earthquake prevention system
Abstract
[Valeriy Ruzhich, head of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] There have been many experiments but recent experiments have been the most effective. We have spent in the region of 70,000 [presumably dollars]. We drilled a bore-hole, pumped in [the water] and then caused an explosion and we got the results we wanted, i.e. we moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly.
[Valeriy Imayev, chief scientist of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] This map in effect is a map that predicts the places where earthquakes will take place and the places where they will not occur. And now the scientists can with quite a great degree of certainty predict the magnitude of earthquakes, i.e. the power produced by these processes.
Full Text
NTV Mir, Moscow, in Russian 1300 6 Feb 05/
Text of report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir on 6 February
[Presenter] Scientists in Siberia have developed a unique new technology to prevent earthquakes. However, the project has no funding for further research and practical tests. The Academy of Sciences has already offers of funding from abroad, but the seismologists hope that the Russian Duma will listen to their appeal. Anton (?Artemyev) reports from Irkutsk.
[Correspondent] This research has been being conducted for more than 15 years and now experts are sure that the technology developed by seismologists from Irkutsk and Tomsk can be used to prevent destructive earthquakes. If a bore-hole is drilled in the area of an underground fault which is filled with water and then a vibration- creating mechanism is lowered into it, there will not be an earthquake.
[Valeriy Ruzhich, head of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] There have been many experiments but recent experiments have been the most effective. We have spent in the region of 70,000 [presumably dollars]. We drilled a bore-hole, pumped in [the water] and then caused an explosion and we got the results we wanted, i.e. we moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly.
[Correspondent] As a result of the last experiment in a special testing area, the scientists got unusual results. The fault plane of a 100 m fissure moved by several centimetres and continued to move smoothly for three weeks. If this energy had been released in the natural way it would have had destructive consequences.
In the scientists' opinion, mechanical force acts to prevent earthquakes as in these places they do then not reoccur several centuries. A special so-called forecast map has been created to further joint work in this area with American scientists.
[Valeriy Imayev, chief scientist of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] This map in effect is a map that predicts the places where earthquakes will take place and the places where they will not occur. And now the scientists can with quite a great degree of certainty predict the magnitude of earthquakes, i.e. the power produced by these processes.
[Correspondent] In the near future the Siberian scientists plan to apply for the Russian patent and also seek international recognition of their work.
[Ruzhich] We must carry this out on longer sections of fault lines. For this we need many millions of roubles. The Academy of Sciences supports us, but they do not have this kind of money.
[Correspondent] The experts plan to present the documentation about earthquake prevention to State Duma deputies. The scientists don't want the new method to belong to a foreign state willing to finance further research. The Siberian seismologists hope that by securing state support they will be able to complete their work.
Credit: NTV Mir, Moscow, in Russian 1300 6 Feb 05
http://smarteconomy.typepad.com/smart_economy/2005/09/taming_the_eart.html
Back in Feb 2005, the BBC Monitoring Service for the FSU, reported that Russian scientists had created, what I would consider a scientific breakthrough - an earthquake prediction and prevention system (see BBC translated story below). If true and if this story is confirmed, it would be a major advance. These scientists claim that they've been able to trigger earthquakes in a smaller, controlled and incremental fashion -"...We moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly...." vs an "all or nothing" magnitude 8+ disaster.
This leads to the idea of taming Mother Nature....well, you read the story and make your own conclusions....I still have many unanswered questions about benefits, impacts and hazards.
i.e if earthquakes are one of Nature's reset Buttons (hurricanes are another) , and we tamper with that cycle, what would happen in the long run?
i.e. what are the liability issues if it becomes uncontrollable?
[update-Oct 31, 2005; ]
N.B.
Even after a month of digging, I have yet to confirm the BBC story below, or find the American scientists that are cited in this story. The research does not appear to be published in any English peer-reviewed acedemic publication -not unusual for Russia. This may be just a working hypothesis, and Russian scientists may be trying to create some spin and hype to squeeze some money from a chronically underfunded Russian Scientific establishment. Hype or not, this idea should be on your environmental scanning radar screen, as a early warning signal to a new approach to earthquake prevention. -Walter Derzko]
[update: Nov. 15, 2005]
see here
Walter Derzko
Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on the emerging Smart Technologies and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy
(Next I'll post an idea on how to brake and tame hurricanes.)
Russian scientists appeal for state funding for earthquake prevention system
Abstract
[Valeriy Ruzhich, head of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] There have been many experiments but recent experiments have been the most effective. We have spent in the region of 70,000 [presumably dollars]. We drilled a bore-hole, pumped in [the water] and then caused an explosion and we got the results we wanted, i.e. we moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly.
[Valeriy Imayev, chief scientist of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] This map in effect is a map that predicts the places where earthquakes will take place and the places where they will not occur. And now the scientists can with quite a great degree of certainty predict the magnitude of earthquakes, i.e. the power produced by these processes.
Full Text
NTV Mir, Moscow, in Russian 1300 6 Feb 05/
Text of report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir on 6 February
[Presenter] Scientists in Siberia have developed a unique new technology to prevent earthquakes. However, the project has no funding for further research and practical tests. The Academy of Sciences has already offers of funding from abroad, but the seismologists hope that the Russian Duma will listen to their appeal. Anton (?Artemyev) reports from Irkutsk.
[Correspondent] This research has been being conducted for more than 15 years and now experts are sure that the technology developed by seismologists from Irkutsk and Tomsk can be used to prevent destructive earthquakes. If a bore-hole is drilled in the area of an underground fault which is filled with water and then a vibration- creating mechanism is lowered into it, there will not be an earthquake.
[Valeriy Ruzhich, head of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] There have been many experiments but recent experiments have been the most effective. We have spent in the region of 70,000 [presumably dollars]. We drilled a bore-hole, pumped in [the water] and then caused an explosion and we got the results we wanted, i.e. we moved the edge of the fault quickly but smoothly.
[Correspondent] As a result of the last experiment in a special testing area, the scientists got unusual results. The fault plane of a 100 m fissure moved by several centimetres and continued to move smoothly for three weeks. If this energy had been released in the natural way it would have had destructive consequences.
In the scientists' opinion, mechanical force acts to prevent earthquakes as in these places they do then not reoccur several centuries. A special so-called forecast map has been created to further joint work in this area with American scientists.
[Valeriy Imayev, chief scientist of the seismology laboratory in the Russian Academy of Sciences institute for the Earth's crust] This map in effect is a map that predicts the places where earthquakes will take place and the places where they will not occur. And now the scientists can with quite a great degree of certainty predict the magnitude of earthquakes, i.e. the power produced by these processes.
[Correspondent] In the near future the Siberian scientists plan to apply for the Russian patent and also seek international recognition of their work.
[Ruzhich] We must carry this out on longer sections of fault lines. For this we need many millions of roubles. The Academy of Sciences supports us, but they do not have this kind of money.
[Correspondent] The experts plan to present the documentation about earthquake prevention to State Duma deputies. The scientists don't want the new method to belong to a foreign state willing to finance further research. The Siberian seismologists hope that by securing state support they will be able to complete their work.
Credit: NTV Mir, Moscow, in Russian 1300 6 Feb 05
http://smarteconomy.typepad.com/smart_economy/2005/09/taming_the_eart.html