- SAWS
Saturday, 2 February 2013
SA Weather Satellite Image: 2 February 2013 15h30 SAST
Image: SAT24 (Click on image for larger view.)
Kwazulu Natal disaster management team gets training from United States' 911
The KwaZulu-Natal disaster management team will get training from the United States' 911 Fund, an official said on Saturday.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube and Finance MEC Ina Cronjé, met with the 911 Fund at the South African consulate in New York to finalise the elements of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address the capacity support to disaster management team, spokesman Ntokozo Maphisa said in a statement.
Maphisa said the MOU was finalised and would be signed by KwaZulu-Natal premier in April. The 911 Fund team would then conduct fire fighting capability assessment and provide intervention support.
The programme would also include specialised training in areas of hazardous materials and chemical emergency management. KwaZulu-Natal will be sponsored with the resources like fire trucks, fire equipment and first line response items to the value of R22 million from the fund.
The president of the 911 Fund, Dr Stephan Hittmann appointed Dube as a member of the International 911 Fund Advisory Board.
Dube said :"We are humbled by a good gesture of the fund and all the support that the province is receiving from the 911 Fund.
"We are looking forward to this long term partnership with the United States of America."
- Times Live
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube and Finance MEC Ina Cronjé, met with the 911 Fund at the South African consulate in New York to finalise the elements of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address the capacity support to disaster management team, spokesman Ntokozo Maphisa said in a statement.
Maphisa said the MOU was finalised and would be signed by KwaZulu-Natal premier in April. The 911 Fund team would then conduct fire fighting capability assessment and provide intervention support.
The programme would also include specialised training in areas of hazardous materials and chemical emergency management. KwaZulu-Natal will be sponsored with the resources like fire trucks, fire equipment and first line response items to the value of R22 million from the fund.
The president of the 911 Fund, Dr Stephan Hittmann appointed Dube as a member of the International 911 Fund Advisory Board.
Dube said :"We are humbled by a good gesture of the fund and all the support that the province is receiving from the 911 Fund.
"We are looking forward to this long term partnership with the United States of America."
- Times Live
Flash Flood in Congo on Friday, 01 February, 2013 at 09:51 (09:51 AM) UTC.
At least 1,386 families were left homeless in Mbanza Kongo, Northern Zaire Province, following the heavy rains that hit the city on Tuesday night, says the civil protection and fire department. The rains destroyed 231 residences, being 122 in 11 de Novembro and 109 in SagradaEsperanca wards, surroundings of Mbanza Kongo city, adds the source. The rains also injured seven people that are receiving medical treatment in the local provincial hospital, says the department.
- RSOE EDIS
- RSOE EDIS
Is your family prepared for a natural or man-made hazard?
In this modern era, technology has provided society with numerous means of predicting the natural and man-made hazards that are part and parcel of daily living.
But it also makes sense to be prepared for any eventuality. The likelihood of recuperating from an emergency or hazard tomorrow almost always depends on the planning and preparation done today.
The City of Cape Town is committed to protecting and preparing the City, and its residents, for emergencies and hazards. This includes educating and empowering Capetonians to improve their personal preparedness.
Whilst the needs and abilities of people are unique, every individual can and should take steps to prepare for any kind of emergency or hazardous situation. Preparedness should take into account the natural and man-made hazards that may happen.
Natural Hazards
Whilst the occurrence of natural hazards is low, there are some that residents still need to be aware of.
There are basic tips that can be implemented in the event of the most common hazards and can be used to formulate an emergency plan so that residents are better prepared.
Gale Force Winds
· Protect and reinforce windows and doors (front doors and garage doors), as well as ensure that your roof is secure in its frame structure in order to prevent damage.
· Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed.
· When driving, it is important to keep speed down and a firm grip on the steering wheel, and to watch out for possible broken trees/power lines along the roadway.
· Ensure adequate insurance cover for possible storm damage.
Heat Wave
· Most importantly, wear sunscreen on all exposed areas (this includes feet and hands). A sun protection factor (SPF) of 45+ is recommended and, in the case of swimmers, always re-apply when exiting the water, as the sunscreen may have washed off.
· Wear protective clothing and accessories (hats and sunglasses) and use large umbrellas to keep out of the sun. For those cycling or hiking, long-sleeved cotton shirts are excellent for this.
· Reduce time spent in the sun, especially between the hours of 10:00 and 15:00, which is generally the hottest time of the day. When seeking a tan, do so gradually and over time, in order to minimise the effects of overexposure.
· Those who participate in outdoor sports should refrain from doing so when it is extremely hot, as they could sustain heat-stroke and cardiac problems.
· Children should never be left unattended, especially outside and in motor vehicles.
· Animals and pets should be taken care of, and should ideally not be directly exposed to the sun.
· Be aware of the dangers of heat exhaustion – drink plenty of water and stay cool as much as possible.
Earthquake
· If you are indoors, stay there and move to a safe location in the room. This could be a strong desk or table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and to be located near structural strong points of the room.
· Arrange your home for safety, with heavy objects stored on lower shelves and more delicate objects in cabinets with latched doors. Heavy mirrors or pictures should not be hung where people frequently sleep.
· If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you; keep away from buildings, power lines and trees.
· If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. Remain in your car. Avoid stopping under bridges and overpasses, or near/under power lines, trees and large signs.
· Stock up on emergency supplies. These include: battery operated radio and flashlights (with extra batteries), first aid kit, water, non-perishable food items, blankets, water and cooking fuel.
· Teach all members of your family about earthquake safety. Places to take shelter, places to avoid and the actions you should take are all things your family should be familiar with.
Flooding
· Check that the drainage system on your property is working, and if there are blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping, report them.
· If you stay in a flood-prone area, move to higher ground or raise the floor level of your house so that it is higher than the land outside.
· Clear your gutters, down-pipes and furrows and remove dead branches from trees in order to ensure that water cannot get blocked and build up on your property.
· Make sure your roof is waterproof and dig furrows around your house to divert water away from the home.
Man-made Hazards
Man-made hazards can be as damaging and unpredictable as natural hazards.
In order to ensure the maximum safety of you and your family, the following tips can be incorporated into a plan that means readiness in any situation.
Structural Fires
· Never leave fires and cooking stoves unattended.
· Keep flammable objects and substances away from young children, and out of reach, and use child-proof caps on flammable products such as paraffin.
· Extinguish all candles and lamps before going to bed or leaving your home, and do not sleep with heaters switched on.
· Switch off all electrical appliances when not in use and avoid overloading of electrical plug points.
· Always keep a bucket of sand and a bucket of water handy, in case a fire breaks out, and have a portable extinguisher available in your home or vehicle.
· Informal structures should be built at least 3m apart to stop fires from spreading, and ensure that your home has more than one exit to ensure escape should a fire break out.
Wild Fire
· Maintain adequate firebreaks around your property and form a safety zone around your house, using gravel or lawn that is kept short.
· Keep your home and garden free of debris such as dead leaves, branches or litter. You should also clean debris from roof surfaces and gutters.
· Cut down trees and bushes next to your home, or creepers on the walls and ensure that any dead branches on trees or bushes are removed.
· Store flammable objects away from your living areas, and where possible, install screens, shutters or heavy fire-resistant curtains.
· Provide enough distance between dwellings for emergency access and, where possible, have more than one exit from your dwelling.
· Ensure easy access and turning space for any emergency vehicles.
· It is good to have an escape plan in place. Ensure your whole family knows the plan.
Road Traffic Incidents
· It is important to be courteous, obey the rules of the road and treat other drivers as you would like to be treated in turn.
· Do not drive in a state that could compromise your focus – don’t drink and drive and make sure you are well rested if you are embarking on a long distance journey.
· Know your route, so that you are aware of the roads and turnoffs that you need to take. If you miss your turnoff, rather find another than swerve at the last minute.
· Stay alert while you drive – switch on the radio or talk to your passengers.
· Secure toddlers in baby or child seats and never leave a child or pet alone in a car.
· Very importantly, ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy.
Power Failures
· Ensure that you are adequately prepared in the event of a power failure: keep your cell phone fully charged when power is available, and keep cash and fuel reserves on hand.
· Keep temporary lighting such as candles and torches and a good quality gas lamp, readily available.
· In readiness for periods where there will be power outages, keep hot water at hand, as well as pre-prepared meals.
· Keep refrigerator doors closed. A power outage of up to four hours should not cause food spoilage, a freezer should keep frozen foods safe for at least a day and most medication requiring refrigeration can keep for several hours without spoiling, though you should check for confirmation with your doctor or pharmacist.
In planning for any hazard, man-made or natural, it is best to keep your entire family informed about the procedures to follow should an event occur.
“These tips form part of the City’s continuous drive to educate the public and make them aware of what they need to do, should one of these hazards occur. In keeping with our aims of being a Safe and Secure City, I encourage all families to make sure they are prepared for any eventuality, whether man-made or natural,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman Jean-Pierre Smith.
By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan that fits those needs, you and your loved ones can be better prepared.
** For a comprehensive source on individual, family and community disaster preparedness, visit the website of the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre at www.capetown.gov.za/disaster or call 080 911 HELP (4357).
END
Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries:
For operational enquiries: Greg Pillay, Head: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 597 5009 or Cell: 084 711 7723
For any other enquiries: Alderman J.P. Smith, Mayoral Committee Member: Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1311 or Cell: 083 675 3780, E-mail: Jean-Pierre.Smith@capetown.gov.za
Source: Wilfred Schrevian Evan Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects
A coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun
On Jan. 31, 2013 at 2:09am EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME.
On Jan. 31, 2013 at 2:09am EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 575 miles per second, which is a fairly typical speed for CMEs. Historically, CMEs at this speed are mild.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured these image of a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupting on the left side of the sun early in the morning of Jan 31, 2013, as it was moving away from the sun into space. These images from SOHO are called coronagraphs, in which the bright light of the sun is blocked in order to make the dimmer structures in the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, visible. Credit: ESA&NASA/SOHO
Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME is a solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and reach Earth one to three days later.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured these image of a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupting on the left side of the sun early in the morning of Jan 31, 2013, as it was moving away from the sun into space. These images from SOHO are called coronagraphs, in which the bright light of the sun is blocked in order to make the dimmer structures in the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, visible. Credit: ESA&NASA/SOHO
Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they connect with the outside of the Earth’s magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. In the past, CME’s such as this have caused auroras near the poles but didn’t disrupt electrical systems on Earth or interfere with GPS or satellite-based communications systems.
EarthSky via NASA
On Jan. 31, 2013 at 2:09am EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and ESA/NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 575 miles per second, which is a fairly typical speed for CMEs. Historically, CMEs at this speed are mild.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured these image of a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupting on the left side of the sun early in the morning of Jan 31, 2013, as it was moving away from the sun into space. These images from SOHO are called coronagraphs, in which the bright light of the sun is blocked in order to make the dimmer structures in the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, visible. Credit: ESA&NASA/SOHO
Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME is a solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and reach Earth one to three days later.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured these image of a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupting on the left side of the sun early in the morning of Jan 31, 2013, as it was moving away from the sun into space. These images from SOHO are called coronagraphs, in which the bright light of the sun is blocked in order to make the dimmer structures in the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, visible. Credit: ESA&NASA/SOHO
Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they connect with the outside of the Earth’s magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. In the past, CME’s such as this have caused auroras near the poles but didn’t disrupt electrical systems on Earth or interfere with GPS or satellite-based communications systems.
EarthSky via NASA
GFS Medium Range Forecasts of Vertical Velocity and Precipitation: South Africa
- U.S. National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)
SEA RESCUE – PORT ELIZABETH – Friday, 01st February, 2013. Dolphin rescue
Photographs by BARNEL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ian Gray, NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander, said:
"At 07h00, on Friday, 01st February, NSRI Port Elizabeth were alerted by members of the public claiming that they had been trying since early this morning to ref-loat a Striped Dolphin, into the sea at Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth, after reportedly finding the live dolphin adult female on the beach that morning but that the dolphin kept re-stranding herself on the beach despite their best efforts.
"NSRI Port Elizabeth contacted the local Bay World marine staff and the Department of Environmental Affairs - Oceans and Coasts who agreed to go to investigate.
"At approximately 09h00 NSRI Port Elizabeth volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the authorities at the dolphin rescue effort and on arrival on-scene our NSRI sea rescue craft EIKOS RESCUER IV was used to transport the dolphin to deep water out at sea where the dolphin was released into the water from our sea rescue craft.
"Marine Scientists are cautiously optimistic that the dolphin appeared to look healthy on its release into the ocean and that she may survive and they have taken samples from the dolphin for analysis.
"Earlier reports from eye-witnesses suggested that the dolphin was, prior to initially beaching, in the company of a juvenile dolphin, suspected to be her calf, and it is unknown if they are reunited at sea."
"The area will continue to be monitored in case of any further possible beaching by the same dolphin or by the juvenile dolphin."
-ENDS-
Released by:
Craig Lambinon
Sea Rescue Communications
Flooding along the Fitzroy River
In eastern Queensland, the Mackenzie-Fitzroy River system takes a circuitous route to the coast, finally emptying into the sea near Rockhampton. In late January 2013, flood waters swelled these rivers and their tributaries so much that satellite sensors could easily detect the changes from the sky. The flooding resulted from heavy rains caused by the ex-tropical Cyclone Oswald.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured the top image on January 30, 2013. For comparison, the bottom image shows relatively normal conditions observed on January 17, 2013. These images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water varies in color from electric blue to navy. Vegetation is bright green and bare ground is earth-toned. Clouds are pale blue-green and cast shadows onto the land surface below.
In the image from January 17, upstream of the city of Rockhampton, the rivers are barely discernible. In the image from January 30, higher water levels color the river channels varying shades of blue, and water has spilled onto floodplains at multiple locations along the river system.
On January 31, 2013, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) described the Fitzroy River as “swollen and crocodile infested,” and multiple news sources reported that the flood surge was expected to reach Rockhampton around February 1 or 2, although the January 2013 flooding was not expected to be as severe as the floods that struck in 2011. On January 30, the AAP reported that the death toll from the latest round of floods had risen to six.
The January 30 image above shows not only higher water levels but also more extensive greenness compared to January 17. The greater degree of green may result from a difference in the angle of the satellite sensor, but may also reflect a green-up from new precipitation. Before Oswald brought heavy rains and floods to the region, large stretches of eastern Australia were suffering from rainfall deficiencies.
References
- Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. (2013, January 4) Rainfall deficiencies expand in eastern Australia. Accessed January 31, 2013.
- Johnson, S., AAP. (2013, January 31) “Business as usual” despite rise in river. News.com.au. Accessed January 31, 2013.
- The Morning Bulletin. (2013, January 31) 1100 properties to be affected when Fitzroy River peaks. Accessed January 31, 2013.
- Robinson, P. (2013, January 30) Fitzroy River continues rising amid “sea of water.” ABC Australia. Accessed January 31, 2013.
NASA images courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.
- Instrument:
- Terra - MODIS - NASA
Dust Storm in Northern Mexico
On January 29, 2013, a dust storm blew though northern Mexico. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image the same day. Dust mingled with clouds over parts of Mexico, New Mexico, and Texas.
The dust was thickest over El Barreal, an impermanent lake in northern Mexico. Fine sediments from that lake bed likely comprised the dust particles in the storm. The winds that stirred the dust apparently affected the surrounding region; the same day that MODIS acquired this image, weather reports from Las Cruces, New Mexico, described gusty winds and hazy conditions caused by blowing dust.
The dust was thickest over El Barreal, an impermanent lake in northern Mexico. Fine sediments from that lake bed likely comprised the dust particles in the storm. The winds that stirred the dust apparently affected the surrounding region; the same day that MODIS acquired this image, weather reports from Las Cruces, New Mexico, described gusty winds and hazy conditions caused by blowing dust.
References
- Las Cruces Sun-News. (2013, January 29) Winds batter Las Cruces, gusts reported in excess of 50 mph. Accessed January 31, 2013.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.
- Instrument:
- Aqua - MODIS - NASA
Friday, 1 February 2013
Tropical Cyclone Felleng (South Indian Ocean) : NASA Sees Cyclone Felling Squeeze Between Madagascar and La Reunion
On Jan. 31, NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Cyclone Felleng at 5:05 a.m. EST on Jan. 31 that showed strong thunderstorms continue to wrap around the center of circulation, and Felleng's eye is now obscured by high clouds. The western edge of the storm is brushing eastern Madagascar (left) and eastern edge is over La Reunion and Mauritius islands (right). Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
NASA satellite imagery saw Cyclone Felleng appear to squeeze between Madagascar and La Reunion island as it moves southward in the Mozambique Channel.
On Jan. 31 at 5:05 a.m. EST, The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Cyclone Felleng that showed thunderstorms continue to wrap around the center of circulation. The image also showed that Felleng's eye is now obscured by high clouds. The MODIS image showed that the western edge of the storm was brushing eastern Madagascar and eastern edge was over both La Reunion and Mauritius islands. Infrared satellite imagery revealed that strongest convection has been decreasing throughout the cyclone during the early morning hours of Jan. 31. Although unseen on visible satellite data, microwave imagery showed an eye feature with the deep convection confined to the eastern semi-circle.
On Jan. 31 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) Tropical Cyclone Felling was moving through the Mozambique Channel. Felleng had maximum sustained winds near 85 knots (97.8/157.4 kph). Tropical-storm-force winds extend out 140 miles (161 miles/259 km) from the center. It was centered near 18.2 south latitude and 51.1 east longitude, about 300 nautical miles (345 miles/555 km) west-northwest of LaReunion Island. Felleng is moving to the southwest at 6 knots (7 mph/11 kph). La Reunion refers to Felleng as "07/20122013." Felleng is creating very rough seas in the northern Mozambique Channel with wave heights up to 32 feet (9.7 meters).
La Reunion Island has issued a Yellow alert as Felleng continues its trek through the channel. The Yellow alert means that residents can expect strong winds, heavy rains and high swells.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Felleng to continue weakening as it moves in a southeasterly direction.
Text Credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Winelands fire rages for fifth day
Cape Town - A fire raged for a fifth day in the Western Cape winelands on Thursday, as firefighters battled a new blaze with military assistance.
Around 9 000 hectares, largely vegetation on the mountains, has burned since Sunday in the town of Franschhoek.
“The fire is still raging in that mountain range around Franschhoek towards Du Toitskloof,” said Etienne du Toit, deputy director of the Fire Brigade Service for the Western Cape.
“With this wind, you have continuous flare-ups. We anticipated that it would burn for at least seven days.”
Six helicopters and a spotter plane, 15 fire engines and 55 firefighters battled the fire on Thursday.
Firefighters and four helicopters and a military chopper were also dealing with a fresh blaze in a pine plantation in Wolseley, north of Franschhoek.
A defence force helicopter and crew was assisting in fighting the fire.
Du Toit said the fires were typical of the time of the year.
“This is the fire season so it's not unusual to have fires of this nature,” he said.
The fire in the Franschhoek area was not under control, but no lives were at risk.
“It doesn't pose any threat to lives or property at this stage,” said Du Toit.
Another fire which started in the scenic Cederberg mountains area two weeks ago, and claimed one life, was declared safe on Thursday.
- AFP/IOL
GFS Medium Range Forecasts of Vertical Velocity and Precipitation: South Africa
- U.S. National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)
Solar Farm in Dunhuang
For centuries, traders along the Silk Road relied on the oasis at Dunhuang for a reprieve from the withering sunlight and heat of the Gobi desert. By 2011, a large solar farm on the outskirts of the city had started transforming that searing light into an energy resource for the region.
The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on the Earth-Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this series of images showing the installation of solar power panels on the outskirts of Dunhuang in the Gansu province of western China. In 2006 (top image), barren desert dominated, except for the road and a few patches of agricultural fields (lower right). By 2011 (middle image), grids of photovoltaic panels began to appear in large numbers. By 2012 (lower image), thousands of square meters were covered.
China’s State Development & Investment Corporation and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) began construction in the area in August 2009, according to China Daily. Two 10-megawatt (.01 gigawatt) facilities were opened by July 2010, making the site China's first large-scale solar power station.
Chinese authorities hope to expand the electricity-generating capacity of Dunhuang’s solar farms in the future. The State Council (China’s equivalent of the cabinet) set a goal of increasing Dunhuang’s solar power generating capacity to 1 gigawatt by 2020. For context, China’s total installed solar capacity at the end of 2011 was about 3.1 gigawatts; the United States had 4.4 gigawatts of capacity by the same date.
Space and sunlight will not be limiting factors to expansion. There are more than 3,500 square kilometers (1,400 square miles) of unused land around Dunhuang, and the area receives about 3,250 hours of sunlight per year. (See this list to see how that compares to major cities around the world.)
However, Dunhuang’s solar plants will have to contend with powerful dust storms that often hit the area in the spring. Also, the shortage of water in the region will make it challenging to keep the solar panels clean. After a visit to one of Dunhuang’s solar plants in 2012, Nanyang Technological University engineer Nilesh Jadhav estimated that dirty panels could decrease the efficiency of Dunhuang’s solar panels by 15 to 20 percent.
The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on the Earth-Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this series of images showing the installation of solar power panels on the outskirts of Dunhuang in the Gansu province of western China. In 2006 (top image), barren desert dominated, except for the road and a few patches of agricultural fields (lower right). By 2011 (middle image), grids of photovoltaic panels began to appear in large numbers. By 2012 (lower image), thousands of square meters were covered.
China’s State Development & Investment Corporation and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) began construction in the area in August 2009, according to China Daily. Two 10-megawatt (.01 gigawatt) facilities were opened by July 2010, making the site China's first large-scale solar power station.
Chinese authorities hope to expand the electricity-generating capacity of Dunhuang’s solar farms in the future. The State Council (China’s equivalent of the cabinet) set a goal of increasing Dunhuang’s solar power generating capacity to 1 gigawatt by 2020. For context, China’s total installed solar capacity at the end of 2011 was about 3.1 gigawatts; the United States had 4.4 gigawatts of capacity by the same date.
Space and sunlight will not be limiting factors to expansion. There are more than 3,500 square kilometers (1,400 square miles) of unused land around Dunhuang, and the area receives about 3,250 hours of sunlight per year. (See this list to see how that compares to major cities around the world.)
However, Dunhuang’s solar plants will have to contend with powerful dust storms that often hit the area in the spring. Also, the shortage of water in the region will make it challenging to keep the solar panels clean. After a visit to one of Dunhuang’s solar plants in 2012, Nanyang Technological University engineer Nilesh Jadhav estimated that dirty panels could decrease the efficiency of Dunhuang’s solar panels by 15 to 20 percent.
References
- China Daily (2010, July 5) Dunhuang solar PV plants to be finished in July. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Clean Technica (2012, July 2) China quadruples 2015 Solar Power Target. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013
- New York Times (2009, July 2) Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Solarika (2012, April 29) Dunhuang Solar Power Plant. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013.
- Xiaoxi Li, (2011) China Green Development Index Report 2011. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013
- Xinhua (2011, July 31) China’s Silk Road City to Develop New Energy to Protect Environment. Accessed Jan. 30, 2013
NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Adam Voiland.
- Instrument:
- EO-1 - ALI - NASA
Flooding in Mozambique
In a little over two weeks, heavy rains transformed the landscape of southern Mozambique. On January 9, 2013, the lower Limpopo River was barely discernible from the sky. By January 25, the river had spilled over its banks, with water spreading more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) across the landscape in places.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured these images on January 25, 2013 (top), and January 9, 2013 (bottom). Both images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water ranges in color from navy blue to teal. Vegetation is bright green. Clouds are pale blue-green and cast shadows.
On January 25, the BBC reported that roughly 85,000 people had been affected by flooding, about 65,000 of them in the southern Mozambique province of Gaza. The city of Chókwé was among the worst-hit, and the United Nations warned that the number of people affected could reach 100,000 if flooding worsened in the coastal city of Xai-Xai. On January 27, Al Jazeera reported a higher number of residents displaced by the flooding: nearly 300,000. A reporter from Agence France-Presse reported seeing tens of thousands of Mozambique residents camped along roadsides.
Flooding was not confined to Mozambique. It also affected Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. In South Africa, flooding had forced the operators of a crocodile farm to open the gates, releasing approximately 15,000 crocodiles, the BBC said.
-
References
- BBC. (2013, January 25) UN: Floods displace 70,000 and kill 36 in Mozambique. Accessed January 28, 2013.
- Mutasa, H. (2013, January 27) “Dire situation” after Mozambique floods. Al Jazeera English. Accessed January 28, 2013.
NASA images courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.
- Instrument:
- Terra - MODIS - NASA
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