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Science
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
International
Scientists discover magma buildup under New Zealand town
WELLINGTON — Scientists say they’ve discovered a magma buildup near a New Zealand town that explains a spate of recent earthquakes and could signal the beginnings of a new volcano — although they’re not expecting an eruption anytime soon. Geophysicist Ian Hamling said that since 1950, enough magma to fill 80,000 Olympic-size swimming pools has squeezed up beneath the surface near the coastal town of Matata, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Auckland. A paper published Saturday in the online journal Science Advances outlines the findings. Hamling, the paper’s lead author, said that while other parts of New Zealand have active volcanoes, there have been none near Matata for at least 400,000 years. “It was quite a big surprise,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. Using GPS data and satellite images, the scientists say they discovered an area of land about 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) has risen by 40 centimeters (16 inches) since 1950. Hamling said a period of quick uplift between 2004 and 2011 likely triggered thousands of small earthquakes. Scientists had previously thought tectonic shifts caused the quakes. Hamling said the magma remained about 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the surface, deep enough that he
didn’t expect a volcano to develop within his lifetime. He said a volcano could develop over hundreds or thousands of years, or the magma could eventually cool and harden. Matata is home to about 650 people. Hamling said he hoped further study would allow scientists to develop a warning system for earthquakes in the area. He said the quakes are likely triggered by magma stressing and breaking rock. Hamling said it was unusual worldwide to discover magma buildup in an area with no volcanoes. He said modern equipment allowed them to accurately measure tiny horizontal and vertical changes in the coastal land. Just over half of the area studied is offshore, however, and Hamling said the scientists needed to rely on inferences from what happened on the land to gauge the changes underwater. Victoria Miller, a volcanologist with Geoscience Australia who was not involved in the research, said the location was of interest because it was outside of an active volcanic area. “The scientific analysis seems robust and notes the limitations of modelling an offshore source,” Miller wrote in an email. (ap)
Bali News
International
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Residents protest against backfilling of inactive river at Dangin Tukadaya NEGARA - Conversion of farmland into land plots or settlement in Jembrana is increasingly widespread. More seriously, the leveling land to be used as a plot land by using heavy equipment even ignores the environmental impact.
Scientists discover magma buildup under New Zealand town.
IBP/net
Airbus presents 3D-printed mini aircraft
AFP Photo/Tobias Schwarz
The world’s first 3D-printed aircraft THOR on display in the Airbus booth at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Schoenefeld near Berlin, on 1 June, 2016.
BERLIN - Dwarfed by huge jets all around, the mini-plane Thor was nonetheless an eyecatcher at the Berlin air show this week -- the small Airbus marvel is the world’s first 3Dprinted aircraft. Windowless, weighing in at just 21 kilos (46 pounds) and less than four metres (13 feet) long, the drone Thor -- short for “Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality” -- resembles a large, white model airplane. Yet to the European aerospace giant Airbus, the small pilotless propeller aircraft is a pioneer that offers a taste of things to come -- an aviation future when 3D printing technology promises to save time, fuel and money. “This is a test of what’s possible with 3D printing technology,” said Detlev Konigorski, who was in charge of developing Thor for Airbus, speaking at the International Aerospace Exhibition and Air Show at Berlin’s southern Schoenefeld airport. “We want to see if we can speed up the development process by using 3D printing not just for individual parts but for an entire system.” In Thor, the only parts that are not printed from a substance called polyamide are the electrical elements. The little plane “flies beautifully, it is very
stable,” said its chief engineer Gunnar Haase, who conducted Thor’s inaugural flight last November near the northern German city of Hamburg. Airbus and its US rival Boeing are already using 3D printing, notably to make parts for their huge passenger jets the A350 and B787 Dreamliner. “The printed pieces have the advantage of requiring no tools and that they can be made very quickly,” said Jens Henzler of Bavaria-based Hofmann Innovation Group, which specialises in the new technology. The metal parts produced can also be 30-50 percent lighter than in the past, and there is almost zero manufacturing waste, added Henzler, who is managing director for Hofmann industrial prototyping. The sky is not the limit for the technology -- engineers also plan to use it in space. The future Ariane 6 rocket of European space agency ESA, set to blast off from 2020, is set to feature many printed pieces. “It brings big cost reductions on parts manufacturing,” said Alain Charmeau, head of Airbus Safran Launchers. Partially as a result of this, the Ariane 6 may have half the price tag of its predecessor Ariane 5. (afp)
For example, the Tukad Mati or inactive river area at Dangin Tukadaya is even backfilled. Additionally, the power pole of the PLN at the location to be used for settlement is dredged so that it almost collapses. As seen on Sunday (Jun. 5), at the plot land of Sebual hamlet, Dangin Tukadaya, the river flow or inactive river with the length of 500 meters and located in the middle of the land spreading across around 1.2 hectares developed by PT Anugerah Pertiwi was also backfilled with heavy equipment. The backfilling caused the adjacent residents to protest and deplore it. A number of residents said that the inactive river functions to collect water catchment at the surrounding area remaining a paddy field in the area of Subak Tamblang. Kadek Suanta, a local resident, said if the inactive river is backfilled for the need of residential road the paddy fields will have no waterway for their disposal later on. Moreover, during rainy season,
the inactive river functions as reservoir and restrains the stream rate of the Sebual River in the east of the land plot so that does not rise to the mainland. “If the area is backfilled, the recharge area here can be hit by floods,” said Kadek Suanta. In the meantime, the headman of Dangin Tukadaya, Gusti Murdi, when asked for his confirmation admitted there is a land plotting in his territory. Related to backfilling of the inactive river, according to him, the road access will be built and handed over to local village. He added that the inactive river is backfilled so that it will not be taken advantage as landfill and mosquito will not be breeding there. “In the village meeting involving the developer and local community leaders was agreed that the Tukad Mati is backfilled and will be made the road access,” he explained. In the meantime, in the area of Subak Abian Petanahan, Batuagung village, the leveling of
IBP/olo
The leveling land to be used as a plot land by using heavy equipment even ignores the environmental impact. residential land area activities using heavy equipment almost caused two power poles of the PLN to collapse. It happened because the land around the power poles was dredged. Since the dredging reached two meters deeper than the lower end of the poles, the poles looked to be higher than the land surface so that the poles almost collapse. According to local residents, the land in the region has a la-
bile texture. When flushed by rain, it will endanger the power poles having looked sloping toward the road, while another power pole is sloping toward the housing underneath. “Please pay attention to the power poles so as not to uproot because they have been dredged by bulldozer. If this happens they can topple over people’s house, including the electricity here will be black out,” said Ida Bagus Sutika, an adjacent resident. (kmb)
City tour package tested Ticket remains to be sold at IDR 12,000 SEMARAPURA - Starting this Monday, the city tour package will be tested by directing all travelers making a visit to Kerthagosa to a predetermined route. Although there are additional attractions to be visited by travelers other than Kerthagosa, the Culture and Tourism Agency will remain to sell the old ticket price for domestic traveler at IDR 12,000. The operation of city tour program is expected to boost the tourists visit to Semarapura. The Head of the Klungkung Culture and Tourism Agency, Wayan Sujana, disclosed on Monday (Jun. 6) that all travelers making a visit to Kerthagosa attraction will be directed to park at the Semarapura sub-
terminal having been repaired previously as a parking area for visitors. “We will test the city tour package as planned, so that travelers are expected to adjust to the new route,” he said, Sunday (Jun. 5). In addition to directing travelers to the sub-terminal parking lot, his agency will also move the booth of admission ticket attendant to that location. By doing so, the attendant can collect the admission ticket directly at the sub-terminal. According to Sujana, the ticket price will be adjusted to the admission ticket to Kerthagosa at IDR 12,000 for domestic travelers considering the levy must correspond to the regional regulation, explained Sujana.
“Regarding the parking levy, the Klungkung Culture and Tourism Agency will coordinate with the Transportation and Infocom Agency,” he said. At the trial of the city tour, local and foreign travelers have been able to visit the Klungkung Palace to see the collection of royal heritages. He also hoped the Klungkung Palace prepares human resources and completeness so that it can be visited by travelers. Sujana admitted his agency is still experiencing shortages in tourist guides. However, the position will be filled gradually according to mechanism so as not to infringe the regulation. In the meantime, currently
the garden in the complex of Kerthagosa and Taman Gili is being arranged and added with toilet facilities. With the city tour program, travelers making a visit to Klungkung will get a new attraction. After coming down from the Klungkung terminal, they will be directly led to the Klungkung Monument and resumed to Klungkung Palace to see a collection of the golden age of the Klungkung kingdom. Furthermore, travelers will head for Puputan Klungkung Square and continue to Smarajaya Museum, Taman Gili and Kertagosa. Before returning to terminal, travelers will stop in the Semarapura Art Market as the center of souvenirs and handicrafts of Klungkung. (dwa)
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To support two children, Widanti works as market porter TABANAN - Sitting down among the crowd of the Tabanan Market, Ni Komang Widanti, 36, occasionally looks wiping her sweat while chatting with her fellow market porters (tukang suwun). Sometimes, their conversation stops when there is customer in need of her services. Deftly Widanti carries a basket over the head which has been used as the source of life. Well, over half of her days are spent at the market in order that she can get rupiah regardless of her health. Armed with a huge basket on her head, this market porter can at least lift the weight to 30 kilograms. Ironically, the rewards they get are not too much or only around IDR 2,000 to IDR 3,000. “Merchants at the market have become my regular customers. Once transporting their goods is only charged at IDR 2,000. However, if the goods like a basket full of watermelon will be paid at IDR 3,000,” she said. It is not only merchants selling in the market, Widanti with hundreds of market porters at the Tabanan Market also offer services to residents that shop. By and large, the housewives shopping pretty much take advantage of their services. One by one the purchased goods are put into the basket carried on the head and then delivered to the location such as in the parking lot of vehicles belonging to residents asking for her services. “Now, our job order is quiet as people prefer to bring their own goods. Coinciding with holidays, I usually get not too much. For once transporting goods we are sometimes rewarded at IDR 5,000,” she said. This woman from Bongan village admitted to have become a market porter since 2008. Initially she pursued a variety of jobs a restaurant or shopping centers in Badung and Denpasar. Unfortunately, after five years of marriage, Widanti have not been blessed with a child so that she decided to stop working. The attempt to get a baby was finally reached. Now, this housewife with two children has to help his husband to meet the needs of family life. Before finally deciding to become a market porter, Widanti should work hard to help his brother to sell at the Tabanan Market. “I’d rather not to be bound, and become a market porter,” he said. Widanti said that in a day she can get income as much as IDR 70,000 and when the market atmosphere is bustling she can sometimes get IDR 100,000. “She works from 05:00 until 12:00, when the condition is bustling she can get IDR 100,000 but it is hard,” she said. Although it is hard for Widanti, becoming a market porter is not a trivial job. “Rather than having no job, I can go to the market any time I want,” she concluded. (kmb28)