Volcano warning system<\/p>\n
The way people look at the apocalyptic Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh
\nhas changed somewhat. With a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale,
\nthe catastrophe looks like the apex of a string of major
\nearthquakes in this archipelago, both before and after Boxing
\nday.<\/p>\n
In the easternmost part of Indonesia, a 6.4-magnitude tremor
\njolted the Papuan town of Nabire in November killing at least 32
\npeople and injuring hundreds of others. In the same month, an
\nearthquake of similar magnitude shook the East Nusa Tenggara
\nisland of Alor, also in the eastern part of the archipelago,
\nkilling at least 36 people and injuring thousands of others.<\/p>\n
After the colossal Aceh tsunami that killed more than 129,000
\npeople, an 8.7-magnitude tremor struck nearby Nias island on
\nMarch 29, killing more than 1,000 people.<\/p>\n
Last week, 3.2- and 4.0-magnitude quakes jolted the Southeast
\nSulawesi town of Kendari causing panic across the town. After
\nrecurrent tremors across many cities in Sumatra, the 2,500-meter
\nMount Talang, located near the city of Padang, erupted on
\nTuesday. Increased activity has since been detected in several
\nother volcanoes. The famous Mount Krakatau in the Sunda Strait,
\nsandwiched between Java and Sumatra, and Mount Tangkuban Perahu
\nnear Bandung in West Java, are all on level 3 alert. This is only
\none level below the highest alert.<\/p>\n
Famous for their superstitious ways, Indonesians are asking
\nwhat all this means, and when will it end?<\/p>\n
The number of victims is often linked to the magnitude of a
\ndisaster. The bigger the number of victims, the greater the
\nmagnitude of the disaster, in the popular imagination. The
\nphysical and psychological sufferings of survivors tend to pale
\nin comparison to the total number of victims.<\/p>\n
In reality, the total number of victims is only one element to
\nbe used in assessing the misery inflicted upon people. Survivors
\nexperience horrible suffering after disasters. The people of
\nNias, for example, were terrified that the earthquake that struck
\ntheir island would be followed by a tsunami, as was the case in
\nAceh. It was fortunate that the feared tidal wave did not
\nmaterialize but the people have been living in intense fear ever
\nsince.<\/p>\n
The ceaseless aftershocks experienced by the Acehnese even
\ntoday continuously refresh the memory of the catastrophe in their
\nminds. The psychological trauma suffered by the survivors will
\ntake years to heal.<\/p>\n
In nearby Simeulue island, nearly the entire population of
\n78,000 people left the island for fear of a tsunami, just days
\nafter an earthquake struck Nias island. Tales of suffering in the
\nplaces where the survivors end up, like Batam island or Medan,
\nare indicative of their plight.<\/p>\n
We cannot get away completely from the fury of nature. What we
\ncan do is to limit, in so far as possible, the number of victims
\nand the people's suffering. This seemingly endless string of
\nearthquakes calls for extra efforts from the volcanology experts.
\nWhile a tsunami early-warning system is being put in place to
\nprevent any recurrence of the Aceh tsunami, the efforts to reduce
\nthe number of victims of volcanic eruptions have a longer
\nhistory. Ever since the colonial period, governments have been
\naware of the dangers posed by the country's more than 100
\nvolcanoes.<\/p>\n
This is the reason why Mount Merapi on Java island, near the
\ncity of Yogyakarta, is a world-renowned center for the study of
\nvolcanoes. The experts working there undoubtedly have an
\nimportant role to play in warning the potential victims of the
\ndangers they face. But they need to make their warnings louder.
\nThe latest eruption of Mount Talang has shown that, to say the
\nleast, their voices have been rather subdued. Stronger warnings
\nfrom the volcanology experts are badly needed, particularly at
\nthe present time, or otherwise the people will fall prey to all
\nkinds of rumors, and irresponsible rumormongers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/volcano-warning-system-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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