Glendale News Network

Glendale News

Network

Shameek Rakshit, Vince Plasencia, Jeffrey Lin, William GuoStarring

: Group 2

Introduction

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Glendale News Network (GNN) hopes to raise awareness on the hazards of the ever so tragic earthquakes. Not only are they a danger to property, but most notably to people. Upon introducing the issue at hand, as well as things being done about it, we wish to share with you a solution we’ve formulated ourselves.

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CommunityFeaturing an island located in Western Indonesia

Sumatra, Indonesia is the fifth largest island in the world, housing more than 40 million residents. The island is known for its natural beauty and unstable environment. There are ninety volcanoes lined up along Sumatra, fifteen of which are currently active. Among the many volcanoes active, various other natural disasters have affected the island, one of the most notable being earthquakes. The earthquakes, which have reached magnitudes of 9.1, have also been known to have induced one of the deadliest tsunamis on Earth.

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Specific Question

How can damaged caused to the people of

Sumatra, Indonesia be

minimized before an earthquake

hits?

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DataData showing that this is an issue that needs solving

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Date Magnitude Deaths

2/15/1994 7.0 207

4/06/2000 7.9 103

12/26/2004 9.3 283,106

3/28/2005 8.6 1,313

3/06/2007 6.4 68

9/12/2007 8.5 23

9/30/2009 7.6 1,117

10/25/2010 7.7 435

7/02/2013 6.1 35

Total: N/A 286,407

To the left is a chart depicting the magnitudes of major earthquakes in Sumatra since the 1990’s and the death tolls.

Current SolutionsSolutions already created to deal with the issue

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, scientists have been working on recording how the ground moves during seismic activity, and have been working on creating earthquake resistant buildings with their research. In addition to this, earthquake-proof homes have been built. These homes are built on rock instead of gravel, sand, or clay. These homes have a tougher structure and  foundation, built with steel or reinforced concrete.

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Current SolutionsSolutions already created [Continued]

Scientists are also trying to predict when the next earthquake is going to strike. By predicting the location of the next one, people living in the area can evacuate before they are injured or killed. This is done by using instruments that show if land is shifting dangerously on a certain side of a fault, or instruments used to detect certain gases collecting in groundwater. People also pour water down a fault in order to lubricate it. This prevents large tremors and large magnitude earthquakes.

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As earthquake surface waves, which cause them most damage, run through the crust, we decided to introduce a plan to build pipelines covering the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Within those pipelines will be a series of gas shock absorbers, 10 times as big as the one shown on the left. Each device will be separated 2 miles apart from one another. These would absorb shock waves and convert them into a gaseous form that would be transferred into the pipe releasing the air onto the other side of the island. There would be a series of absorbers on the bottom as well so that body waves, which lead to surface waves, can also be absorbed. There would be two pipes that would lie about 100 feet deep and it would cover about 80% of the island. The pipes would be managed by stations at the southern and northern tips of the island.

Solution

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We present you with a new solution!

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SolutionWe present you with a new solution!

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This is a gas shock absorber. The main components are: A - Bar B - Piston and oil seal C - Cylinder D - Oil reservoir E - Floating piston F - Air chamber

To the right is a map ofThe proposed pipe-Line project aroundSumatra.

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SolutionWe present you with a new solution!

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PIPES GAS SHOCK ABSORBERS

This is a visual representation of what the pipe system would look like if it were constructed under the island of Sumatra.

Data Data showing that solution will be effective

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To test the solution, we set up a simulation with a real gas shock absorber. We created a cardboard pipe and attached it with the absorber. We then stuck a piece of cardboard on both sides. One person then kicked a ball at the cardboard. We measured the distance the cardboard moved to determine the efficiency of the solution. Before this, we also kicked a ball at the cardboard without the absorber and took the numbers down. As one can see, the solution is very effective as it reduced the impact by large amounts in all instances.

Trial Distance

1 62 in.

2 65 in.

3 80 in.

4 75 in.

5 68 in.

Trial Distance

1 35 in.

2 41 in.

3 50 in.

4 51 in.

5 30 in.

Without the Absorber With the Absorber

ExpertFeedback from a specialist

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Our expert was Peggy Hellweg, who is an expert on seismology at the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory. Unfortunately she did not answer the phone. We also attempted to contact Jack Moehle, a professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His areas of expertise are reinforced concrete structures, bridge and building design, and seismic testing methods. Although he did respond, it was only briefly for he had little free time. We shared with him our solution and though he did the actual idea was practical, he was unsure of it’s effectiveness.

Counter Argument

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Others are likely to argue that such an idea is simply ludicrous. However, it might actually be practical. Gas shock absorbers that exist today are capable of dissipating kinetic energy. Upon making the size 10 times larger, spread apart the island, and with the assistance of instruments used to predict earthquakes , the device should be capable of limiting the surface waves emitted by earthquakes and are the main cause of the damage to both people and property.

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Next StepsWhat we plan to do next

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We plan to inform a figure of authority that will allow us to carry on our idea and improve it. Afterwards, we are hoping that it will become widely accepted, enough to be implemented among various nations, and most importantly, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Plan for the Future

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Future financial plans

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In the future, if this solution proves successful and becomes widely accepted, it will be up to the nation to build the contraption entirely. The total expense should be covered by the United Nations (UN), Red Cross, and private donors to pay for it along with the government. The idea itself will be free to use by any, on the account that it’s purpose is to save lives of people.

ShareSpreading our idea

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To spread the word about our solution, so that it can be implemented in Sumatra, we decided to create a website which outlines the basics of our project and how it would impact the people of Indonesia. We plan to create flyers and contact top officials and the media but for now, you can visit our website:

Conclusion

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We hope to have accomplished our goal of spreading news about matters of earthquakes, as well as our solution. We also wish for it to be a lesser issue in the future, for the benefits of all.

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Tune in next time!

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