i. (summarized from this article)
While investigation into the impact of the earthquake and tsunami has primarily focused on the effects on humans, there have been some research conducted on the effects on animals and ecosystems.
In terms of zoos and aquariums, some "were suffering shortages of gas, heater fuel, and food and drinkable water for humans as well as for animals", while others have made plans to relocate their charges elsewhere temporarily.
Interestingly enough, the biggest impact on wildlife might not be present on the Japanese mainland itself, but could be diffused throughout the small islands of the Pacific, where, in fact, the majority of wildlife-related news have come. In particular, a research station on the island of Midway has been busy conducting experiments, collecting data and monitoring the situation, both through the media and their own observations. Pete Leary, a wildlife biologist, describes,
"we passed thousands of albatross adults and petrels that had been washed into the water and lost their ability to stay dry. Their feathers were messed up by being tumbled over the island and through the vegetation."In addition to that, thousands of wildlife have perished, in the same way humans do, during the onslaught of the tsunami, some even buried alive. (The US Fish and Wildlife Service is now estimating that the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge sustained losses of over 110,000 Laysan Albatross chicks, around 22% of the total number of chicks born this year, along with 2000 adults.)
Beyond that, coral reefs and other coastal habitats have been hard hit by the inundation of saltwater during the tsunami. Indeed, soil salinization is often an issue for areas hit by tsunami; given that plants and animals are generally adapted for specific habitats (or niches within those habitats), changes in salinity or soil pH can seriously affect the survival of certain species.
On the other hand, there are some positive effects of natural disasters like tsunamis. In some cases, the silt and sediment washed inland by the waves results in coastal areas becoming more shallow, hence creating more habitats for seabirds. Decaying material (both carried by the waves and from the organisms which perished during the tsunami) could encourage the growth of plants and animals by enriching the soil.
This article used data from the 2005 Aceh tsunami in Indonesia to supplement the sparse amount of research currently available on the Honshu earthquake. This illustrates the possibility of cross-referencing investigations and extrapolating findings regarding new situations based on old ones where information might be more available. This implies too that accurate and consistent record-keeping is extremely important for scientific studies, given the empirical nature of science.
ii. (taken from this article)
In terms of other physical changes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the disaster left "a huge rupture in the sea floor, 217-miles long and 50 miles wide." Japan's coast has also been altered a distance of between 8 to 13 feet, along a 300-mile stretch.
More interestingly, however, the elevation of the country's terrain has actually decreased as well, and as a result, parts of it will remain permanently under sea-level. The immediate repercussion of this is that flooding might be a permanent feature of many of the current cities, as the change in altitude prevents the usual receding of the seawater.
iii.
For the more visual among us, The New York Times has an amazing page with compilations of satellite photos of the Japanese landscape before and after the tsunami.
No comments:
Post a Comment