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Japanese Ship Probes Focus Of Massive Quake That Caused Killer Tsunamis
Tokyo (AFP) Feb 02, 2005 A Japanese research ship left for waters off Sumatra on Wednesday to get a first-hand look at the focus of the most powerful earthquake in 40 years which triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. The 1,739-ton Natsushima ship of the state-supported Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology departed from a port in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima. "We aim to get hold of the direct cause of the quake, probing a seabed fault if it is visible, or undersea strata," a spokesman for the agency said. Their main weapon to examine the geological effects of the tragedy is an unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle called the "Hyper Dolphin", mounted with ultra-sensitive, high-definition cameras. The ship will conduct a two-week survey in February and return for 10 days of research in March, the spokesman said. The research is funded by Japan's science and technology ministry, to which the findings will be submitted. "We are also considering reporting them to the Indonesian government soon after the research if they request," the spokesman said. The December 26 earthquake which registered 9.0 on the Richter scale unleashed massive waves across the Indian Ocean, killing more than 290,000 people on the coasts of 11 countries with bodies still being recovered five weeks later. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Tectonic Science and News
Ash Continuing To Spew From Vanuatu Volcano
Sydney (AFP) Dec 12, 2005Thousands of tonnes of ash are continuing to spew from a volcano in Vanuatu, but officials said Monday the activity on the South Pacific nation was not likely to result in a major deadly eruption. |
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