Latest news with #VictorTsai
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
After an earthquake, how long can trapped victims survive?
NEW YORK (AP) — For those trapped in rubble after an earthquake, survival depends on many factors, including weather and access to water and air. If their injuries aren't too severe, victims can survive for a week or more, assuming the weather isn't too hot or cold, experts say. Rescue teams in Myanmar and Thailand are searching for survivors after Friday's 7.7 magnitude quake that toppled buildings and damaged roads. The disaster has killed more than 2,000 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in Thailand, mainly at a Bangkok office tower construction site. Most rescues happen in the 24 hours after a disaster. The chances of survival drop with each day after that, experts say. Most victims are badly injured or buried by falling stones or other debris. What factors affect earthquake survival? Trapped victims are more likely to survive if they are in a debris-free pocket that prevents major injury while they await rescue, like under a sturdy desk, said geophysicist Victor Tsai from Brown University in an email. Experts call this a survivable void space. If fire, smoke or hazardous chemicals were released as a result of the building collapse, they may decrease a person's survival odds, said emergency response expert Dr. Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University. Beyond that, having air to breathe and water to drink are crucial as the days go on. 'You could survive a while without food,' Barbera said. 'You could survive less without water.' Temperatures where someone is trapped may affect survival, and temperatures outside the rubble can affect rescue missions. Power outages and spotty communications have slowed relief operations in Myanmar, where many are searching for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue efforts. It can be important for survivors to receive vital medical care before they are removed from the rubble, Barbera said. If not, the buildup of toxins from crushed muscles could make them go into shock after they are rescued. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a teenager and his 80-year-old grandmother were found alive after nine days trapped in their flattened home. And the year before, a 16-year-old Haitian girl was rescued from earthquake rubble in Port-Au-Prince after 15 days. What to do during an earthquake The best practices for survival during an earthquake depend on where you are in the world. Building codes in regions with active fault lines are often designed to withstand earthquakes, but that doesn't hold true everywhere. In many countries, including the United States, the best practices are to drop, seek cover and hang on unless you are close to a building exit. Seek shelter under a heavy table or near sturdy furniture that may yield a survivable pocket if the roof collapses. Cover your face with cloth or a mask to protect from dust and debris. If you are trapped in the rubble after and earthquake, save your energy and don't overexert. Ration food and water, listen for rescue calls and search for something near you to make noise. If you have a phone with you, conserve its battery and try for help in short spurts each day. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
After an earthquake, how long can trapped victims survive?
For those trapped in rubble after an earthquake, survival depends on many factors, including weather and access to water and air. If their injuries aren't too severe, victims can survive for a week or more, assuming the weather isn't too hot or cold, experts say. Rescue teams in Myanmar and Thailand are searching for survivors after Friday's 7.7 magnitude quake that toppled buildings and damaged roads. The disaster has killed more than 2,000 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in Thailand, mainly at a Bangkok office tower construction site. Most rescues happen in the 24 hours after a disaster. The chances of survival drop with each day after that, experts say. Most victims are badly injured or buried by falling stones or other debris. What factors affect earthquake survival? Trapped victims are more likely to survive if they are in a debris-free pocket that prevents major injury while they await rescue, like under a sturdy desk, said geophysicist Victor Tsai from Brown University in an email. Experts call this a survivable void space. If fire, smoke or hazardous chemicals were released as a result of the building collapse, they may decrease a person's survival odds, said emergency response expert Dr. Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University. Beyond that, having air to breathe and water to drink are crucial as the days go on. 'You could survive a while without food,' Barbera said. 'You could survive less without water.' Temperatures where someone is trapped may affect survival, and temperatures outside the rubble can affect rescue missions. Power outages and spotty communications have slowed relief operations in Myanmar, where many are searching for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue efforts. It can be important for survivors to receive vital medical care before they are removed from the rubble, Barbera said. If not, the buildup of toxins from crushed muscles could make them go into shock after they are rescued. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a teenager and his 80-year-old grandmother were found alive after nine days trapped in their flattened home. And the year before, a 16-year-old Haitian girl was rescued from earthquake rubble in Port-Au-Prince after 15 days. What to do during an earthquake The best practices for survival during an earthquake depend on where you are in the world. Building codes in regions with active fault lines are often designed to withstand earthquakes, but that doesn't hold true everywhere. In many countries, including the United States, the best practices are to drop, seek cover and hang on unless you are close to a building exit. Seek shelter under a heavy table or near sturdy furniture that may yield a survivable pocket if the roof collapses. Cover your face with cloth or a mask to protect from dust and debris. If you are trapped in the rubble after and earthquake, save your energy and don't overexert. Ration food and water, listen for rescue calls and search for something near you to make noise. If you have a phone with you, conserve its battery and try for help in short spurts each day. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
After an earthquake, how long can trapped victims survive?
NEW YORK (AP) — For those trapped in rubble after an earthquake, survival depends on many factors, including weather and access to water and air. If their injuries aren't too severe, victims can survive for a week or more, assuming the weather isn't too hot or cold, experts say. Rescue teams in Myanmar and Thailand are searching for survivors after Friday's 7.7 magnitude quake that toppled buildings and damaged roads. The disaster has killed more than 2,000 people in Myanmar and at least 18 in Thailand, mainly at a Bangkok office tower construction site. Most rescues happen in the 24 hours after a disaster. The chances of survival drop with each day after that, experts say. Most victims are badly injured or buried by falling stones or other debris. What factors affect earthquake survival? Trapped victims are more likely to survive if they are in a debris-free pocket that prevents major injury while they await rescue, like under a sturdy desk, said geophysicist Victor Tsai from Brown University in an email. Experts call this a survivable void space. If fire, smoke or hazardous chemicals were released as a result of the building collapse, they may decrease a person's survival odds, said emergency response expert Dr. Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University. Beyond that, having air to breathe and water to drink are crucial as the days go on. 'You could survive a while without food,' Barbera said. 'You could survive less without water.' Temperatures where someone is trapped may affect survival, and temperatures outside the rubble can affect rescue missions. Power outages and spotty communications have slowed relief operations in Myanmar, where many are searching for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue efforts. It can be important for survivors to receive vital medical care before they are removed from the rubble, Barbera said. If not, the buildup of toxins from crushed muscles could make them go into shock after they are rescued. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a teenager and his 80-year-old grandmother were found alive after nine days trapped in their flattened home. And the year before, a 16-year-old Haitian girl was rescued from earthquake rubble in Port-Au-Prince after 15 days. What to do during an earthquake The best practices for survival during an earthquake depend on where you are in the world. Building codes in regions with active fault lines are often designed to withstand earthquakes, but that doesn't hold true everywhere. In many countries, including the United States, the best practices are to drop, seek cover and hang on unless you are close to a building exit. Seek shelter under a heavy table or near sturdy furniture that may yield a survivable pocket if the roof collapses. Cover your face with cloth or a mask to protect from dust and debris. If you are trapped in the rubble after and earthquake, save your energy and don't overexert. Ration food and water, listen for rescue calls and search for something near you to make noise. If you have a phone with you, conserve its battery and try for help in short spurts each day. —-
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lake Stars: What Are They And How Do They Form?
Arranged in a pattern on a thin layer of ice, lake stars are an incredible wintertime phenomenon that has actually been researched very little. Take a look at this photo taken by Cristie Harold. She spotted these lake stars on a frozen pond in North Carolina. (For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.) Lake stars are rather common in Alaska and around the Great Lakes, where conditions can be extremely cold. For lake stars to form, it is believed that a thin layer of ice needs to be present with heavy snowfall on top. They begin with a single hole, and then spidery branches extend from there, creating a star-like pattern on the ice. Very few scientists have studied these mysterious patterns, however, Victor Tsai, a geophysicist with the Seismological Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology has spent some time getting to the bottom of their formation and existence. He found that the snow cover on the ice has to be heavy enough to weigh the ice down just enough to allow water from the lake below to spill out on top. This allows for warm lake water to come through the hole in the ice and spread across the slushy snow on top. As the water melts the snow - the arm of the star is formed (or the dark spider-like veins that extend from the center). Because lake stars form on thinner ice, never try to walk out and get a closer look. The lake is most likely far too thin to support anyone to venture out and could be incredibly dangerous. Soaking them in from the shore is your best bet - while you marvel at one of nature's spectacular winter season creations. Ready To Learn More? Here Are Some Recent Weather Words You May Have Missed: Flare-up Fire Front Red flag warnings Hypothermia You can find our archive of Weather Words here. Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.
