Latest news with #RebeccaBell
Al Jazeera
31-03-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
What caused the powerful Myanmar earthquake?
Myanmar has been hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which also affected neighbouring Thailand, its tremors felt as far afield as Cambodia and India. Much of the devastation caused by Friday's quake appeared to be in Myanmar's ancient capital of Mandalay, close to the epicentre in the Sagaing region, where buildings toppled and infrastructure buckled. More than 140 people were killed in the country, according to state media. Myanmar has been struck by several quakes since a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in the southern city of Bago in 1930, which killed at least 550 people, according to a United Nations seismic risk assessment. So, what makes this Southeast Asian country, which has been blighted by nearly four years of civil war, so vulnerable to earthquakes and how big was this one? First of all, a quick explanation of what an earthquake actually is. The Earth is made up of three parts: a molten, mostly metallic core at the centre, surrounded by a hot, nearly solid layer of rock called the mantle, with a jigsaw-like crust on the outside that is made up of constantly shifting tectonic plates. This movement of the plates on the slippery mantle, at different speeds and in different directions, causes energy to build up. The release of this energy causes the intense shaking of the planet's surface that we call an earthquake. When the energy is released below the ocean, it creates a series of huge waves known as a tsunami. Aftershocks are triggered 'because of changes to stress in the Earth from the main shock,' according to Will Yeck, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey (USGS). Myanmar's location between two tectonic plates – the India and Eurasia plates – places it at particular risk of earthquakes. The boundary between the two plates is called the Saigang Fault. Experts describe it as a long, straight line running approximately 1,200km (745 miles) from north to south through cities such as Mandalay and Yangon, placing millions of people at risk. According to the USGS, the Myanmar earthquake occurred because the India and Eurasia plates were rubbing sideways against each other, a motion described as 'strike-slip faulting'. Dr Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London, cited by the London-based Science Media Centre, compared the boundary between the two plates to the famous San Andreas Fault in California, which caused the deadly Northridge earthquake in 1994. 'The straight nature means earthquakes can rupture over large areas – and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake,' she was quoted as saying. The strength of the earthquake is measured on the Moment Magnitude Scale, which largely replaced the famous Richter scale in the 1970s. Friday's quake of 7.7 was considered powerful, unleashing chaos in Myanmar and Thailand. In Thailand's capital, Bangkok, a 33-storey high-rise that was still under construction crumbled, killing at least eight and trapping dozens of construction workers under the rubble. In Myanmar's Mandalay, buildings were toppled, the royal palace was damaged, and the road-and-rail Ava Bridge collapsed. There was also damage in the modern capital, Naypyidaw, and the former capital, Yangon. State media said at least 144 people had been killed across the country. The USGS estimates that nearly 800,000 people in Myanmar may have been within the zone of the most violent shaking, with the death toll expected to rise sharply over the coming days. The earthquake took place at a relatively shallow depth – just 10km (six miles) deep. Dr Ian Watkinson, from the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, was cited by the Science Media Centre as saying that shallow earthquakes can create a lot of damage, given that 'the seismic energy is not dissipated much by the time it reaches the surface'. While some regions of the world along active fault lines, including California and Japan, have building codes designed to withstand earthquakes, the infrastructure in the region hit by Friday's quake is less well equipped. As Watkinson puts it, Myanmar has gone through 'rapid urbanisation', with 'a boom in high-rise buildings constructed from reinforced concrete'. He believes Friday's earthquake could create levels of destruction comparable to the 2023 magnitude 7.8 quake in southern Turkiye, where many buildings collapsed after years of unregulated construction.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What caused the Myanmar earthquake - and why did it make a tower in Bangkok collapse?
A major earthquake in Myanmar on Friday has caused more than 1,600 deaths and led to the collapse of numerous structures. Even though the south-east Asian nation is a high risk region for earthquakes, neighbouring Thailand and China - which were also affected by the quake - are not. The Thai capital, Bangkok, sits more than 1,000km (621 miles) from the epicentre of Friday's earthquake - and yet an unfinished high-rise building in the city was felled by it. Here we will explain what caused this earthquake, and how it was able to have such a powerful effect so far away. Follow updates on this story The earth's upper layer is split into different sections, called tectonic plates, which are all moving constantly. Some move alongside each other, whilst others are above and below each other. It is this movement that causes earthquakes and volcanoes. Myanmar is considered to be one of the most geologically "active" areas in the world because it sits on top of the convergence of four of these tectonic plates - the Eurasian plate, the Indian plate, the Sunda plate and the Burma microplate. The Himalayas were formed by the Indian plate colliding with the Eurasian plate, and the 2004 Tsunami as a result of the Indian plate moving beneath the Burma microplate. Dr Rebecca Bell, a reader in tectonics at Imperial College London, said that to accommodate all of this motion, faults - cracks in the rock - form which allow tectonic plates to "slither" sideways. There is a major fault called the Sagaing fault, which cuts right through Myanmar north to south and is more than 1,200km (746 miles) long. Early data suggests that the movement that caused Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake was a "strike-slip" - where two blocks move horizontally along each other. This aligns with the movement typical of the Sagaing fault. As the plates move past each other, they can become stuck, building friction until it is suddenly released and the earth shifts, causing an earthquake. Earthquakes can happen at up to 700km (435 miles) below the surface. This one was just 10km from the surface, making it very shallow. This increases the amount of shaking at the surface. The earthquake was also very large - measuring 7.7 on the moment scale. It produced more energy than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to the US Geological Survey. The size of the earthquake was because of the type of fault, said Dr Bell. "The straight nature [of the fault] means earthquakes can rupture over large areas - and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake," she explained. "There have been six magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes in this region in the last century." This straight fault also means a lot of the energy can be carried down its length - which extends for 1200km south towards Thailand. How earthquakes are felt at the surface is also determined by the type of soil. In soft soil - which is what Bangkok is built on - seismic waves (the vibrations of the earth) slow down and build up, getting bigger in size. So Bangkok's geology would have made the ground shaking more intense. While dramatic footage has emerged of high-rise buildings in Bangkok swaying during the quake - knocking water from rooftop pools - the unfinished headquarters for the auditor-general's office Bangkok's Chatuhak district appears to be the only skyscraper to collapse. Prior to 2009, Bangkok did not have a comprehensive safety standard for constructing buildings to withstand earthquakes, according to Dr Christian Málaga-Chuquitaype, a senior lecturer in earthquake engineering at Imperial College London. This means that older buildings would have been particularly vulnerable. This is not unusual, as earthquake-resistant buildings can be more expensive to construct and Thailand, unlike Myanmar, does not frequently experience earthquakes. Dr Emily So, a professor of architectural engineering at the University of Cambridge, noted that older buildings can and have been strengthened, such as in California, western Canada and New Zealand. Prof Amorn Pimarnmas, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand, said that while there were regulations in 43 provinces on earthquake-proofing buildings, less than 10% of buildings are estimated to be quake-resistant. Yet the building that collapsed was new - in fact, it was still under construction when the earthquake hit - and the updated building standards would have applied. Dr Pimarnmas said Bangkok's soft soil may have also played a part in its collapse, as it can amplify ground motions three or four times over. He added: "However, there are other assumptions such as material (concrete and reinforcements) quality and some irregularity in [the] structural system. These remain to be investigated in detail." Having studied the video, Dr Málaga-Chuquitaype said it appears a "flat slab" construction process was being favoured - which is no longer recommended in earthquake-prone areas. "A 'flat slab' system is a way of constructing buildings where floors are made to rest directly on columns, without using beams," he explained. "Imagine a table supported only by legs, with no extra horizontal supports underneath. "While this design has cost and architectural advantages, is performs poorly during earthquakes, often failing in a brittle and sudden (almost explosive) manner." At least 15 still alive under Bangkok skyscraper rubble, rescuers say Myanmar earthquake: What we know BBC reporter on desperate search for survivors in rubble of 30-storey building Mandalay in Myanmar was much closer to where the ground slipped and would have experienced significantly more severe shaking than Bangkok. Although Myanmar regularly experiences earthquakes, Dr Ian Watkinson, a lecturer in earth sciences at Royal Holloway University, thought it was unlikely that many buildings were constructed to be earthquake-proof. "General poverty, major political upheaval, alongside other disasters - e.g. the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 - has distracted the country from concentrating on the unpredictable risks from earthquakes," he said. "This means that, in many cases, building design codes are not enforced, and construction happens in areas that could be prone to enhanced seismic risk, for example flood plains and steep slopes." Parts of Mandalay and its buildings also lie along the floodplain of the Ayerwaddy River. This makes them very vulnerable to a process called liquefaction. This happens when the soil has a high water content, and the shaking causes the sediment to lose its strength and behave like a liquid. This increases the risk of landslides and building collapses, as the ground can no longer hold them up. Dr So warned that there was "always a chance" of further damage to buildings near a fault line due to aftershocks - tremors that follow an earthquake, which can be caused by the sudden transfer of energy into nearby rock. "Most of the time aftershocks are smaller than the main shock, and tend to decrease in size and frequency over time," she said. Why earthquake predictions are usually wrong What happened at Fukushima 12 years ago?
BBC News
29-03-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Myanmar earthquake: What caused it and why did it make a building in Bangkok collapse?
A major earthquake in Myanmar on Friday has caused more than 1,000 deaths and led to the collapse of numerous though Myanmar is a high risk region for earthquakes, damage to buildings has been widespread. On the other hand, Bangkok is not considered earthquake-prone. The Thai capital is more than 1,000km (621 miles) from the epicentre of Friday's earthquake - and yet an unfinished high-rise building in the city was felled by we will explain what caused this earthquake, and how it was able to have such a powerful effect so far away. What caused the earthquake? The earth's upper layer is split into different sections, called tectonic plates, which are all moving constantly. Some move alongside each other, whilst others are above and below each is this movement that causes earthquakes and is considered to be one of the most geologically "active" areas in the world because it sits on top of the convergence of four of these tectonic plates - the Eurasian plate, the Indian plate, the Sunda plate and the Burma Himalayas were formed by the Indian plate colliding with the Eurasian plate, and the 2004 Tsunami as a result of the Indian plate moving beneath the Burma Rebecca Bell, a reader in tectonics at Imperial College London, said that to accommodate all of this motion, faults - cracks in the rock - form which allow tectonic plates to "slither" sideways. There is a major fault called the Sagaing fault, which cuts right through Myanmar north to south and is more than 1,200km (746 miles) data suggests that the movement that caused Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake was a "strike-slip" - where two blocks move horizontally along each aligns with the movement typical of the Sagaing the plates move past each other, they can become stuck, building friction until it is suddenly released and the earth shifts, causing an earthquake. Why was the earthquake felt so far away? Earthquakes can happen at up to 700km (435 miles) below the surface. This one was just 10km from the surface, making it very shallow. This increases the amount of shaking at the earthquake was also very large - measuring 7.7 on the moment scale. It produced more energy than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to the US Geological Survey. The size of the earthquake was because of the type of fault, said Dr Bell."The straight nature [of the fault] means earthquakes can rupture over large areas - and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake," she explained. "There have been six magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes in this region in the last century."This straight fault also means a lot of the energy can be carried down its length - which extends for 1200km south towards earthquakes are felt at the surface is also determined by the type of soil. In soft soil - which is what Bangkok is built on - seismic waves (the vibrations of the earth) slow down and build up, getting bigger in size. So Bangkok's geology would have made the ground shaking more intense. Why did just one skyscraper collapse in Bangkok? While dramatic footage has emerged of high-rise buildings in Bangkok swaying during the quake - knocking water from rooftop pools - the unfinished headquarters for the auditor-general's office Bangkok's Chatuhak district appears to be the only skyscraper to to 2009, Bangkok did not have a comprehensive safety standard for constructing buildings to withstand earthquakes, according to Dr Christian Málaga-Chuquitaype, a senior lecturer in earthquake engineering at Imperial College means that older buildings would have been particularly is not unusual, as earthquake-resistant buildings can be more expensive to construct and Thailand, unlike Myanmar, does not frequently experience Emily So, a professor of architectural engineering at the University of Cambridge, noted that older buildings can and have been strengthened, such as in California, western Canada and New Zealand. Yet the building that collapsed was new - in fact, it was still under construction when the earthquake hit - and the updated building standards would have having studied the video, Dr Málaga-Chuquitaype said it appears a "flat slab" construction process was being favoured - which is no longer recommended in earthquake-prone areas."A 'flat slab' system is a way of constructing buildings where floors are made to rest directly on columns, without using beams," he explained. "Imagine a table supported only by legs, with no extra horizontal supports underneath."While this design has cost and architectural advantages, is performs poorly during earthquakes, often failing in a brittle and sudden (almost explosive) manner." What about the buildings in Myanmar? Mandalay in Myanmar was much closer to where the ground slipped and would have experienced significantly more severe shaking than Myanmar regularly experiences earthquakes, Dr Ian Watkinson, a lecturer in earth sciences at Royal Holloway University, thought it was unlikely that many buildings were constructed to be earthquake-proof."General poverty, major political upheaval, alongside other disasters - e.g. the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 - has distracted the country from concentrating on the unpredictable risks from earthquakes," he said."This means that, in many cases, building design codes are not enforced, and construction happens in areas that could be prone to enhanced seismic risk, for example flood plains and steep slopes."Parts of Mandalay and its buildings also lie along the floodplain of the Ayerwaddy River. This makes them very vulnerable to a process called happens when the soil has a high water content, and the shaking causes the sediment to lose its strength and behave like a liquid. This increases the risk of landslides and building collapses, as the ground can no longer hold them So warned that there was "always a chance" of further damage to buildings near a fault line due to aftershocks - tremors that follow an earthquake, which can be caused by the sudden transfer of energy into nearby rock."Most of the time aftershocks are smaller than the main shock, and tend to decrease in size and frequency over time," she reporting by Vicky Wong
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Where Vermont newborns and infants can get an RSV immunization
BURLINGTON, Vt (ABC22/FOX44) – Doctors at the UVM Medical Center are urging parents and guardians to get Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations for their infants and newborns. A new RSV prevention medication, called nirsevimab, was approved by the FDA in July 2023. This immunization, given as an injection to infants under eight months old 'provides a ready-made supply of antibody protection to babies without triggering an immune system response,' according to a UVM Medical Center release. All infants under eight months old can receive the immunization in-state through the end of march, when RSV season ends. Any babies born after March will then be eligible to receive an immunization in October. For more information, guardians should talk to their child's doctor. UVMMC Critical Care Physician Rebecca Bell, MD, said in a release that 'This season looks totally different than it's ever looked before. There is a lot of RSV around, it's just that infants aren't becoming critically ill because they're being immunized against it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
