Far flung ash blankets southern skies

Friday, 17 June 2011, 5:24 pm
Press Release: Science Media Centre

When dramatic images of lightning strikes and towering ash columns from Chilean volcano Cordon-Caulle hit international news outlets last week, the thought of travel disruptions close to home was far from most New Zealanders' minds.

Since Sunday, however, its been hard to avoid a new appreciation for the downwind effects of such displays. Hundreds of Australasian flights have been grounded or rerouted to avoid potential hazards posed by the clouds of volcanic ash that have come the long way round the globe.

"This is a large pyroclastic eruption, meaning it is explosive and produces a lot of volcanic ash", says Dr Tom Wilson, University of Canterbury's Natural Hazards Research Centre. "It has already continued for days with varying explosivity and with ash reaching a range of elevations, sometimes over 15 km high at the volcano."

"Eruptions of rhyolite magma are among the most explosive on earth", says Dr Jan Lindsay, Senior Research Fellow in Volcanic Hazard and Risk at University of Auckland, "because the magma's high silica content makes it hard for gases to escape passively. Instead they tend to blast the magma apart into billions of tiny fragments, generating huge, high ash columns.

NIWA physicist Dr Ben Liley, who's been bouncing powerful laser beams off the ash cloud overhead since Saturday to confirm its altitude and thickness, told the SMC that the major concern for New Zealand is likely to be the amount of time the ash particles take to clear.

"These are very fine particles -- the stuff that's come across already is here because it's been injected high up into the atmosphere, and been taken up by the jet stream. The volcano is still erupting, but when its force diminishes and the ash plume begins to lower into the troposphere, we won't have the same problem," he says.

"The issue that's been overlooked is really how long these fine particles can stay aloft. They are so small that they may only fall around 100 metres a day, so the ash from the initial eruption may continue to be a problem as it circulates around and around in the stratosphere, even if new ash from the volcano is no longer reaching us."

For extensive comments on the ash situation, including volcanic activity updates from recent fly-overs in Chile, see our website.

On the science radar

Silent space, stressed bird benefits, grey hair mystery, eclipses, robo-cycles, virtual pregnancy and ancient beer brewers.

Severe aftershocks hit Christchurch

Still recovering from the damaging September and February quakes, Christchurch was struck by a two strong aftershocks on Monday.

The quakes, measuring magnitude 5.6 and 6.3, caused further damage to the city's infrastructure and strained the nerves of the already beleaguered residents. Smaller quakes have continued at a relentless pace since then.

The recent large aftershocks were significant enough to cause changes in earthquake risk profiles for the region calculated by GNS Science.

Speaking to Paul Gorman of the Press, GNS Hazards Modeller Matt Gerstenberger said that the risk of another magnitude 6.0 or higher earthquake in the next year had increased as a result.

"Before, we were talking about a one-in-four chance. It's now three in 10".

GNS Seismologist Bill Fry noted the unusual nature of the Canterbury earthquakes.

"It's as well-recorded as any of this size has ever been. We are seeing things about it - things that we don't see in any other place... It's aspects of this that makes this sequence very important to science and why it's hard to be definite about how it's going to behave."

You can read more from quake experts in the media here.

As well as causing widespread physical damage, the earthquakes have have a heavy psychological impact on the residents of Canterbury.

Dr Erica Seville, Co-leader of the Resilient Organisations Research Programme at the University of Canterbury, gave the following advice:

"The latest aftershocks will certainly provide a significant test of the resilience of our communities and organisations, not least because people are fatigued, and extremely frustrated about this setback to their recovery.

"As these latest events highlight, recovery is a marathon and not a sprint -- organisations need to make sure that they are bringing in fresh people in to help with their response and to ensure that all staff are getting sufficient down-time."

Read Dr Seville's full comments here.
Mum's sleep habits and stillbirth risk

A New Zealand study published online this week in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) is the first to examine whether snoring, sleep position, and other sleep practices in pregnant women are associated with increased risk of stillbirth.

Researchers at the University of Auckland found that sleeping on the left side may be associated with a reduced risk of stillbirth. Women who woke infrequently to use the toilet or who took regular daytime naps during late pregnancy were more likely to experience stillbirth.

Snoring and other characteristics of sleep apnoea -- which the researchers set out to study -- were not associated with an increased risk.

"None of these observations have been made before and these are therefore new and potentially important findings, said Associate Professor Bob Hancox, University of Otago. "Both the researchers and commentators agree that they need to be confirmed in other studies before we will know whether these are real effects"

Professor Lesley McCowan, one of the study's co-authors, explained that their results might be explained by restricted blood flow to the baby. "If confirmed through future studies we may be able to reduce the number of stillbirths by up to a third which is incredibly exciting," she said

"Prevention strategies to reduce the risk of stillbirth in late pregnancy remain limited," said Associate Professor Vicki Flenady from the Australian and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance. "The static stillbirth rate for over 20 years, when all other mortality statistics have shown an improvement, suggests we need new leads.

"Based on the information that is available, expectant mothers should not change their behaviour This is part of the continuing research effort to reduce the risk of stillbirth. Often research goes down blind alleys. We won't know if this is a blind alley until further work is done."

For further comments, including those gathered overseas by the SMC network, and summary of media coverage, see our website.

Upcoming Briefings

The Science Media Centre will be hosting online briefings for two upcoming events in the New Zealand science sector.

New high-tech network for science - On Thursday, 23 June, the SMC will hold a briefing with experts involved in the New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI) ahead of its official launch on Friday.

NeSI is a collaboration between several universities and Crown Research Institutes. The infrastructure network will provide state-of-the-art High Performance Computing and eScience Services to New Zealand's researchers.

Getting earthquake engineering straight - The SMC will hold a briefing with engineering experts to coincide with the release of a new information paper, "The Canterbury earthquake: Answers to critical questions about buildings and structures".

The document is a collaboration of science and engineering expertise from across New Zealand and provides a response to critical engineering questions, based on current best information and knowledge.

Final details TBC for both these events. Journalists, keep an eye out for upcoming email invites, or contact the Science Media Centre for more information.

Quoted: The Press

"Recovery is a marathon and not a sprint"

Advice to Christchurch residents from
Dr Erica Seville, Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, Canterbury University

New from the SMC

In the news:

Earthquake coverage - The SMC has been collating media coverage of the recent quakes, from early reports to more recent information on future quake risk from seismologists.

Expers respond;

Chilean volcano ash no health threat - In response to queries from worried New Zealanders, experts has have issued an explanation of why Kiwis don't need to worry about health dangers from ash fall from the Chilean volcano plume.

Further details on Chilean eruption - Experts have provided an detailed report of the volcanic activity that has generated the ash clouds causing disruption in New Zealand.

Reflections on science:

End the debate on 1080 - An editorial in Mondays's New Zealand Herald examines the weight on each side of the controversy that followed the recent 1080 report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

From the AusSMC:

Positive impact from HPV Vaccine - Results from cervical cancer screening in Australia are showing a reduction in cancer diagnoses following the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine. The AusSMC has gathered expert commentary.

Sciblogs highlights

Some of the highlights from this week's posts include:

Anti-Vaxxer Websites - Venues for Brainwashing? -Fear, isolation and crushing dissent - Michael Edmonds peeks behind the curtain of the anti-vaccination campaign.
Molecular Matters

Rebuilding on a rising tide - Gareth Renowden examines the threat water poses to Christchurch's shaky ground.
Hot Topic

Troublesome Turbines - Marcus Wilson goes over some of the drawbacks wind energy production.
Physics Stop

The Questioners - Elf Eldridge answers some interesting questions on stars, black holes and spectacular collisions.
Just So Science

A Better World Through Video Games - Whether its killing zombies or serene scuba diving, videogames can influence our behaviour. Darcy Cowan ponders some new research on video games and their impact.
Scepticon

New Zealand Archaeologists at the 'Coal Face' - Brigid Gallagher reports back from the New Zealand Archaeological Association Conference in Havelock North.
Digging the Dirt

Why (some) people don't trust science - Grant Jacobs ruminates on the reasons why science is shunned by some slices of society,
Code for Life

Research highlights

Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.

Sleeping on left side may lower risk of stillbirth - New Zealand researchers have found a previously unseen association between pregnant mums' sleeping position and the risk of late-term stillbirth. they found that women who recalled sleeping on the left had a significantly lower rate of stillbirths than women who slept on their back or right side on their last night of pregnancy. A related editorial stresses that confirmation from further studies would be urgently needed before altering any recommendations for pregnant women.
British Medical Journal

Preventing heart-stopping sporting events: With the Rugby World Cup looming, a timely review points out the prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SAC) at sporting events. In addition to collecting data on health incidents at sports stadiums, the authors put forward several recommendations, including having trained medical professionals and specalist equipment on site, prepared transport plans for patients and improved communication with emergency services.
European Heart Journal

Knockout resource for genetics: An international consortium of researchers, including a New Zealander, report that they have knocked out almost 40 per cent of the genes in the mouse genome. The researchers aim to create a system capable of disabling any targeted gene in mouse cells. The completed resource will power studies of gene activity in models of human disease. The cells generated by this approach will allow researchers to ask and answer questions about the roles of genes at the scale of the whole mouse and human genome. .
Nature

Climate change increases calving: A breed of wild British cows have offered the latest insight into the ecological impact of climate change. Examining data for the past 60 years, researchers have found that the biggest change over time was the increasing number and proportion of calves born during the winter. Comparison of birthing rates with UK Met office data found the increased births lined up with the increasingly common warmer winters.
Journal of Animal Ecology

Honeydew odor bad news for aphids: The honeydew of an aphid contains a bacterium that produces volatile compounds and attracts predators, reports a new study. The authors found that certain chemicals produced by the bacteria could attract hoverflies - a known predator of several aphid species. These findings could allow the exploitation of a natural enemy, in the form of the hoverfly, in controlling aphid populations.
Nature Communications

Inhaler safety concerns: The combination of a medication used in New Zealand and a type of inhaler may pose some risk to users. A new analysis of several randomised controlled trials has shown that sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who used the medication Spiriva with a Respimat mist inhaler were at more risk of dying than those who given placebo. The authors of the study hypothesise that dosage control maybe a key factor in the mortality rate.
British Medical Journal

Killer television: A new study has linked extensive TV watching with increased diabetes, heart disease and mortality risk. In a comprehensive analysis of data from several studies, researchers found that watching television for 2-3 hours per day or more was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease and death from all causes.
Jounal of the American Medical Association

Olive oil lowers stroke risk: An new study has shown a benficial effect of olive oil in stroke risk. A study involving over 7500 elderly French participants found that those who regularly used olive oil for both cooking and as dressing had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who never used olive oil in their diet.
Neurology

Environmental monitoring with Google Earth: Australian researchers have taken advantage of Google Earth's freely available satellite imagery to remotely observe the landscape-scale footprint of behavioural interactions between predators and prey around Australia's Great Barrier Reef. On the ground testing confirmed hypotheses suggested by analysis of the satellite imagery, highlighting the usefulness of the technology for environmental monitoring.
Scientific Reports

Quantum hackers exploit loophole: An international team of physicists have succeeding in breaking the ultra-secure communication method of cryptography - quantum key distribution (QKD). The researchers were able to circumvent the quantum principles that in theory provide QKD its strong security by blinding receiving photon detectors, essentially overriding the system's ability to detect a breach of security. Furthermore, this technological imperfection in QKD security was breached using off-the-shelf components packaged into a 'hackers suitcase'.
Nature Communications

Bendy solar panels: Researchers have developed a new design for photovoltaic (PV) solar cells which leads to low bending stiffness and allows a high degree of flexibility. A key feature of the design of these cells is that it allows the capture of light not only through their top surfaces but also through their sidewalls and bottom surfaces. Unlike conventional luminescent photovoltaics this unusual design can be implemented in ultra-thin, mechanically bendable formats.
Nature Communications

'Flying' in water: Marine vertebrates, such as sharks and seals, swim in undulating patterns to conserve energy, similar to birds changing altitude, according to a new study. Researchers equipped animals with accelerometers which recorded the swim patterns marine vertebrates. The recordings showed the animals perform undulating flight, where passive gliding is interspersed with upward movement in the water. This finding implies convergent evolution in the locomotion patterns of flying and swimming.
Nature Communications

Ketamine cure for blues?: The anaesthetic ketamine, and other similar molecules, have a fast-acting, antidepressant-like effect by promoting the rapid synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein linked to antidepressant effects. These findings, reported in a mouse model indicate a novel target for a quick-acting treatment of major depression. As ketamine itself can have significant side effects, this work raises other potential points of interest in the pathway that could be targeted.
Nature

Policy updates

Some of the highlights of this week's policy news:

Digital switchover dates confirmed - The final dates for New Zealand television going digital have been released by Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman.The switchover occur in four stages spread over 2012-2013.

Earthquake documentation continues - The National Library is actively collecting and curating photographs, documents and recordings related to the Christchurch earthquakes, in an effort to preserve the cultural significance of the events.

Commissioner to assess DOCs books - The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, has announced her intention to review the financial structure of DOC and its income revenues.

Animal welfare strategy moves ahead - Agriculture Minister David Carter has today announced steps to further improve New Zealand's animal welfare system, including the creation of an advisory group to the development of a national animal welfare strategy.

New CMO for Health - Dr Don Mackie has been named as the Ministry of Health's Chief Medical Officer, and head of the Ministry's recently established Clinical Leadership, Protection and Regulation Business Unit .

Emissions measurement report- The Ministry for the Environment has released a final report and discussion papers from an international workshop on emissions measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and review.

Upcoming sci-tech events

Medical Technology Industry Sector Blueprint launch - 17 June, Auckland.

Science Diplomacy: New Day or False Dawn? - 46th Otago Foreign Policy School - 24-26 June, Dunedin.

Health Innovation: Putting Evidence To Work - Health Informatics New Zelaand Seminar -24 June, Auckland.

For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar.

ENDS

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