Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Earthquake and tsunami, genes, and spin off to science
In this issue: Kaikoura earthquake and tsunami confusion,gene editing and spin off to science.
Issue 400, 18 Nov
2016
Top news from scimex.org the Science Media Centre's news-sharing platform.
Delayed gratification makes tidal turbines
more efficient
Should we cut back on red and processed
meat?
Focus on protecting newborns from Whooping
cough
New from the
SMC
Reflections on Science: Crazy science - but it is crazy enough?
In the News: 7.5-magnitude earthquake rocks NZ
Expert Reaction: Magnitude 7.5 earthquake
Day 3: Kaikoura earthquake, what do we know?
New from the SMC global
network
UK SMC
Expert reaction: Study using CRISPR Cas9 to partially restore
vision in blind rodents
Expert reaction: Conference abstract on yo-yo dieting and heart disease deaths
Expert reaction: Global Carbon Budget analysis for 2016
Expert reaction: Regeneration of functional human oocytes from discarded genetic material
Australian SMC
How can crowdsourcing help us respond better to disasters?
Droughts sow the seeds of drought-resistant plants
Teenage male whale sharks don't want to leave home
Winter conception increases mum's diabetes risk
Midnight earthquake
strikes
It's been a hectic, frightening
and stressful week for many around the country after a
magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit North Canterbury on
Monday.
The earthquake was initially
recorded at magnitude 7.5 but has since been upgraded as
seismologists have raced to find out more about the
shake.
By Wednesday, GNS Science geologists were saying that six faults ruptured during the earthquake that lasted two minutes (see image, provided by GNS Science). The Kekerengu Fault at the South Island's east coast appears to have had up to 10 metres of slip.
GNS Science's Caroline Holden said in a live Q&A on Wednesday that the earthquake possibly occurred along 200km of fault rupture. "Therefore it takes more time to carefully understand the earthquake process and its impacts on the ground."
Some of GeoNet's GPS stations have recorded displacement of up to 2m in places. Kaikoura has been moved to the northeast by nearly a metre and upward by 70cm.
There have been an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 landslidestriggered by the initial quake and subsequent aftershocks, spread over some 70,000 square kilometres.
Some of the faults go offshore, which means as yet seismologists don't know the extent of rupturing offshore. Niwa's research ship Tangaroa has been diverted to survey the ocean floor in Cook Strait, Marlborough and Kaikoura.
Clearly there will be a lot to learn from this earthquake, with information changing as more data comes in. Currently, GeoNet is estimating a 93 per cent probability of an aftershock of magnitude 6.0-6.9 in the next month. That means this is a good time to reassess your emergency plans and equipment, which the Civil Defence has advice on.
You can help with the scientific response by filling in a detailed felt report or by sending photos of affected marine areas or other observations to k.clark@gns.cri.nz (more info about this request).
The SMC has been gathering
expert commentary on earthquake this
week:
• Earthquakes and landslides - Expert
Q&A
• Earthquake effect on tourism - Expert
Q&A
• Coping with disaster - Expert
Q&A
• Earthquake-damaged buildings - Expert
Reaction
• Kaikoura earthquake recovery - Expert
Reaction
• Marine uplift from earthquake - Expert
Reaction
• Magnitude 7.8 earthquake - Expert
Reaction
Quoted: GeoNet
"It is perfectly acceptable to be scared by this earthquake but we will get through this by doing what I think Kiwis do best: helping each other.
"We saw this with the Canterbury
earthquakes and we are seeing this again."
GeoNet director Dr Ken Gledhill
on responding to the
"monster".
Confusion over
tsunami alert
As the bustle of the first
few days after the earthquake begins to settle, questions
are turning to how we receive tsunami
warnings.
The wee hours of Monday morning will be remembered by many not just as frightening, but also confusing, following mixed messages about tsunami warnings.
After the earthquake struck at 12.02am, automated estimates put it at magnitude 6.8 (later upgraded to 7.5 and then, several days later, 7.8). A Civil Defence advisory at 12.48am announced no tsunami threat to New Zealand. Minutes later, at 1am, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) issued a tsunami warning for all southern coastal areas but made no mention of the east coast.
The result was confusion and frustration, with many unsure if they should evacuate or when it was safe to return home.
Acting Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has indicated to The Dominion Post that the emergency management system could be in for an overhaul, to ensure there was not a repeat of Monday's early-morning chaos.
Meanwhile, others have suggested there was no reason to advise people to flee and too many false alarms would cause people to lose faith in the warning system.
Writing on The Conversation, Curtin University tsunami expert Jane Cunneen discussed the fast-changing state of play on Monday morning as seismologists hurried to find out more details about where the earthquake struck and its exact magnitude.
Despite incredible technology now at our hands, "there are still limits on how quickly we can accurately measure and locate an earthquake and assess the likely tsunami risk," she wrote.
"It takes time to get accurate information to the public after an earthquake and tsunami, so those living closest to the hazard zones need to be aware of natural warning signs and not rely only on official warning messages," she concluded.
MCDEM responded to questions from Toby Manhire, writing for the NZ Herald, saying that people shouldn't "sit around waiting for an official notification... it's dangerous to give people the impression that they should expect to receive an official warning".
Read a summary of news coverage about the tsunami warning system.
Gene editing
reviewed
Gene editing technologies have
been widely misunderstood in the past. A new wave of
technologies has brought the issue to the forefront once
more which will have significant implications for New
Zealand.
The Royal Society of New Zealand
released its expert advicethis
week about historical and current uses of gene editing.
It provides accessible information about the much-hyped new
gene editing technologies,
which have the potential to benefit our healthcare,
conservation and agricultural sectors.
The Society has prepared a fact sheet, infographics (also available in Te Reo) and an animation in simple language, explaining current gene-editing technologies and what they are already being used for around the world.
Royal Society of New Zealand President Professor Richard Bedford said that “these new techniques are promising, especially because of how precise and reversible they are compared with traditional breeding or genetic modification techniques".
However, as there are significant ethical and legal questions about the use of gene editing technologies, further work needs to be done before they are widely adopted in New Zealand.
To address this, the Society has also convened a multidisciplinary panel of New Zealand’s leading experts to consider the implications for New Zealand through ethical, social, legal, regulatory, environmental and economic lenses.
Barry Scott, Professor of Molecular Genetics at Massey University, who is heading the multidisciplinary panel, says that gene-editing technology has taken off worldwide following the development of a technique called CRISPR in 2012, which has dramatically reduced the cost and difficulty of gene editing compared with other techniques.
The expert advice is timely as just this week, cells modified by one of the more prominent gene editing technologies CRISPR, were tested in a person for the first time.
RNZ interviewed Professor Barry Scott about the panel.
Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
Business Canterbury: Urges Council To Cut Costs, Not Ambition For City
Wellington Airport: On Track For Net Zero Emissions By 2028
Landcare Research: ANZAC Gall Fly Release Promises Natural Solution To Weed Threat
NZ Anti-Vivisection Society: Auckland Rat Lovers Unite!
University of Canterbury: $1.35 Million Grant To Study Lion-like Jumping Spiders
Federated Farmers: Government Ends War On Farming
