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Cyclones: Nature's Fury Or Nature's Friend
Cairns, Australia (SPX) Sep 27, 2007 Tropical cyclones can cause terrible damage to anyone and anything caught in their path, but scientists are also interested in the natural role cyclones play in shaping our environment. Over the next two days, CSIRO scientists will present the results of environmental research undertaken in the aftermath of Cyclone Larry, which hit north Queensland in March 2006, and Cyclone Monica, which swept across Cape York and the Northern Territory a month later. Some CSIRO staff ventured out just days after the Cyclone, battling floods, black-outs and fallen trees to record the impact on rainforests, rivers, birds and animals. Dr Jim Wallace and his colleagues took a boat out on the swirling floodwaters south of Innisfail to get the first real data about pollutant loads carried out to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon by major flood events in the Wet Tropics. "The Cyclone Larry floods carried about 16,000 tonnes of sediment out to sea, along with 25 per cent more nutrients than we expected," Dr Wallace said. High levels of sediment and nutrients from land-based run-off have been identified as a potential threat to coral reefs. "These results suggest that targets for reducing pollutant loads to the Great Barrier Reef may need to be adjusted to account for the role of floods," he said. The scientists are presenting their research at the 'Cyclone Science Seminar' being co-hosted by CSIRO and James Cook University, with support from the Skyrail Rainforest Foundation. Other CSIRO speakers include: + Dr Louise Shilton, who reports that the tens of thousands of spectacled flying foxes that went missing after Cyclone Larry have found their way back home + Dr Dan Metcalfe, who has uncovered two very different techniques rainforest trees use to cope with cyclonic winds + Dr Garry Cook, on the natural impacts of Cyclone Monica which carved a 50km by 130km swathe through the remote tropical savannas of northern Australia + Dr Helen Murphy, on the battle between invasive weeds and native plants competing to regain ground in the wreckage left by Cyclone Larry. The non-profit Skyrail Rainforest Foundation (SRF) proudly supported a number of the research projects showcased at the Seminar, through the SRF Cyclone Larry Project. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Africa flood crisis deepens
Nairobi (AFP) Sept 25, 2007Fresh rainfalls and slow relief have deepened the humanitarian crisis caused by record floods in Africa which have affected more than 1.5 million people and killed at least 300, aid agencies warned Tuesday. |
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