News & Science: How To Read Earthquake And Tsunami Diagrams

USGS Shakemap
Image from USGS/EPA

These days when we hear news about earthquakes near coastal areas, what we fear most is the magnitude of such earthquakes because the higher it is, the higher the chance a tsunami will be triggered. The result can be devastating!

The image above is a ShakeMap, a map colour-indicated by the instrumental intensity of the earthquake, according to the perceived shaking, potential damage, peak ground acceleration (measured in g-force) and peak ground velocity (measured in centimetre per second).

Another diagram we often see once there is a threat of a tsunami is this Tsunami Travel Times. As stated in the subheading, "tsunami travel time contours in hours, beginning from the earthquake origin time". What we need to look closely at are the yellow and red dots on the map and in the legend. Red dots are the DARTs while yellow dots are tide gage / gauge.

DART Easy to Deploy (ETD) buoy
Image from DART

DART® (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) real-time tsunami monitoring systems, developed by PMEL, are positioned at strategic locations throughout the ocean and play a critical role in tsunami forecasting.

NDBC DART® Program
Image from NDBC

The location and warnings from the DART can be checked through the NDBC DART® Program website at National Data Buoy Center.

Tide gage / gauge are, according to Wikipedia, "is a device for measuring the change in sea level relative to a datum. Sensors continuously record the height of the water level with respect to a height reference surface close to the geoid. Water enters the device by the bottom pipe (far end of the tube, see picture), and electronic sensors measure its height and send the data to a tiny computer."

Energy map as of 1st Aril 2014
Image from National Tsunami Warning Center

Finally, the last diagram you will see is the Tsunami Propagation Forecast, which shows the "contours of forecasted maximum wave amplitudes above sea level [in centimetre], detailing tsunami energy propagation". The only problem with this diagram is that it only measures the wave amplitude above sea level up to 100cm, or in fact, anything above 40cm will be completely red, thus it is hard to see how much higher than 100cm the tsunami could be. That said, maybe anything above 40cm is destructive enough and will not make much difference from a 200cm one. Oh no! I'm starting to doubt what I have just said.

Let's hope that the people living at the coastal areas are safe.

Resources:
Hawaii on Alert After Huge Quake Hits Off Chile @ TIME
http://time.com/46206/chile-earthquake/

Peak ground velocity @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_ground_velocity

Peak ground acceleration @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_ground_acceleration

DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) @ NOAA Center of Tsunami Research
http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/Dart/

NDBC DART® Program @ National Data Buoy Center
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart.shtml

National Tsunami Warning Center
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Tsunami warning Antofagasta @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai5e8Lpm0AU

News & Game: Google Maps Pokémon Challenge!!!

Image from Google

Now THIS is April Fools'!!! And it comes with a fun mini-game!!! All you need to do is go to your Google Maps app on Android or iOS, then type "press start", and start the catch!!!

Since Google doesn't do something without education in their mind, so I suggest you try typing some names of famous places to find them, like Toyko Tower for example, you'll find Pikachu! Who knows what you can find if you type Tesla Motors, Microsoft and Apple Inc.?

Images from Google

Happy April Fools' Day!!!

Resources:
2014 April Fools' Day Gaming Pranks - April Fools' Day Game Pranks Wiki Guide @ IGN
http://www.ign.com/wikis/april-fools-day-game-pranks/2014_April_Fools'_Day_Gaming_Pranks

Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/4YMD6xELI_k

Auto: Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S

Model S Delivery Ceremony
Image from Tesla Motors

This is no April Fools'! Elon Musk announced a few days ago that the safest car on the planet has got even safer! 

This NHTSA 5-star safety rated "in every category" electric vehicle will now be added a titanium underbody shield and aluminum deflector plates!!!

The Tesla Model S battery pack is on the floor of the vehicle.
Image from Tesla Motors

Quoting an entry from Elon Musk himself,

"

...we felt it was important to bring this risk down to virtually zero to give Model S owners complete peace of mind. Starting with vehicle bodies manufactured as of March 6, all cars have been outfitted with a triple underbody shield. Tesla service will also retrofit the shields, free of charge, to existing cars upon request or as part of a normally scheduled service.

During the course of 152 vehicle level tests, the shields prevented any damage that could cause a fire or penetrate the existing quarter inch of ballistic grade aluminum armor plate that already protects the battery pack. We have tried every worst case debris impact we can think of, including hardened steel structures set in the ideal position for a piking event, essentially equivalent to driving a car at highway speed into a steel spear braced on the tarmac.

We believe these changes will also help prevent a fire resulting from an extremely high speed impact that tears the wheels off the car, like the other Model S impact fire, which occurred last year in Mexico. This happened after the vehicle impacted a roundabout at 110 mph, shearing off 15 feet of concrete curbwall and tearing off the left front wheel, then smashing through an eight foot tall buttressed concrete wall on the other side of the road and tearing off the right front wheel, before crashing into a tree. The driver stepped out and walked away with no permanent injuries and a fire, again limited to the front section of the vehicle, started several minutes later. The underbody shields will help prevent a fire even in such a scenario.

The first of the three shields is a rounded, hollow aluminum bar that is designed to either deflect objects entirely or, in the case of a self-stabilizing, ultra high strength object, like a three ball steel tow hitch, absorb the impact and force it to pike upwards well forward of the battery pack. This pierces the plastic aeroshield and front trunk liner, but causes no damage affecting safety and the car remains in control and driveable before, during and after the impact.

This is followed by a titanium plate, which has exceptional strength-to-weight properties and is more commonly seen in aerospace or military applications. The titanium plate prevents sensitive front underbody components from being damaged and aids in neutralizing the road debris.

By this point, the vast majority of objects will have been deflected or crushed. For the rare piece of debris that remains intact, we added a third shield, which is a shallow angle, solid aluminum extrusion that further absorbs impact energy, provides another layer of deflection and finally causes the Model S to ramp up and over the object if it is essentially incompressible and immovable.

Thanks to high speed cameras fixed underneath the cars during testing, we have a close-up view of what happens to the objects on impact. As illustrated in the slow motion videos below, the shields destroy everything from a solid concrete block to a steel alternator and safely capture and eject objects made of ultra-hard steel."

Three ball tow hitch? Repelled!
Image from Tesla Motors

Alternator? Crushed!!!
Image from Tesla Motors

Concrete block? Smashed!!!
Image from Tesla Motors

The protective qualities of the underbody shields are substantial, but their effect on the overall structure of the vehicle is minimal. In total, the shields only have a 0.1 percent impact on range and don’t affect ride or handling. Wind tunnel testing shows no discernible change in drag or lift on the car.

As the empirical evidence suggests, the underbody shields are not needed for a high level of safety. However, there is significant value to minimizing owner inconvenience in the event of an impact and addressing any lingering public misperception about electric vehicle safety. With a track record of zero deaths or serious, permanent injuries since our vehicles went into production six years ago, there is no safer car on the road than a Tesla. The addition of the underbody shields simply takes it a step further.

- Elon

"

If that doesn't tell the world how caring Tesla Motors is as a tech company, a car company... a tech car company, I don't know what does.

For all I know, I'll be a very happy customer!


Vocabulary:
retrofit -- (vb) [T] to provide a machine with a part, or a place with equipment, that it did not originally have when it was built:
penetrate -- (vb)[I or T] to move into or through somethi
ballistic -- (adj) connected with the study of objects that are shot or thrown through the air, such as a bullet from a gun
debris -- (n)[U] broken or torn pieces of something larger:
pike -- (vb) kill or thrust (someone) through with a pike.
buttress -- (vb)[T] to build buttresses to support a building or structure:
substantial -- (adj) large in size, value, or importance:
discernible -- (adj) FORMAL able to be seen or understood:
empirical -- (adj) based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory:
lingering -- (adj) [before noun] lasting a long time:
misperception --(n)[U] incorrect perception; misunderstanding.

Resources:
Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S — Medium
https://medium.com/p/544f35965a0d

Tesla Motors, Inc. Stock This Week: Titanium Armor and Concerned Analysts @ Fool.com
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/29/tesla-motors-inc-stock-this-week-titanium-armor-an.aspx

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/retrofit_1?q=retrofit+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/penetrate_1?q=penetrate+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ballistics?q=ballistics
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/debris?q=debris+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/buttress_2?q=buttressed+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/substantial_1?q=substantial
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/discernible?q=discernible+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/empirical?q=empirical+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/lingering?q=lingering+
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/misperception

Event: Earth Hour 2014

Image from WWF

Locky's English Playground has pinned!!! What about you???

Image from WWF

Definitely lights off tonight!!! What about you???

Image from WWF

I'm always ocean smart!!! What about you???

Resources:

Earth Hour
https://earthhour.wwf.org.hk/en/eh-around-you/pin/5/15831

Food & Dining: Rendang Beef Ginger Rice Set @ Toast Box

Image from Locky's English Playground

Okay, this is going to be a quick one. A couple of weeks ago I went to Grand Century Place in Mongkok and realised that almost the entire mall is being renovated. I wanted to go to Fairwood but instead I found a food court. After rounds of search I ended up at Toast Box, a pride of Singapore.

Image from Locky's English Playground

After 5 minutes deciding whether I should go for laksa or the Rendang Beef Ginger Rice Set, I finally went for the rice. It cost a whole $50 for the set with a drink included, which is terribly marked up, but if it tasted great then it might make me feel better.

Image from Locky's English Playground

And here it is! The Rendang beef, which I counted there to be about 6 pieces at reasonable size, the ginger rice with fried garlic on top, some pickled cucumber and carrots, two pieces of prawn crackers and a cup of hot teh tarik, which was not "pulled" in any way by the barista.

For a change, I will give you my scores first.

Scores:

Look:            ★★★★☆ 4/5

Taste:            ★★★☆☆ 3/5

Smell:            ★★★☆☆ 3/5

Textures:       ★★★★☆ 4/5

Temperature: ★★★★☆ 4/5

Overall:         ★★★☆☆ 18/25

Honestly, it looked quite pretty and tidy, no faults at all, though it did not taste as hot and spicy as I expected it to be. Smell was pretty much unnoticeable but the beef was tender and easy to chew, meaning that it had been nicely stewed. The set came immediately out from the kitchen and so the food was hot enough when served, and so in conclusion, it is an alright meal, good for those with a small local stomach (I didn't eat the prawn crackers, I've never liked them). I suppose the same set will taste better in Singapore as I expect it to be more spicy. There's nothing fancy here and what you see is what you get. Don't expect any surprises other than the price you pay.


Vocabulary:
teh tarik -- (n) [U] (literally "pulled tea") is a hot milk tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in southeastern Asian countries of Malaysia and Singapore. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. It is made from black tea, condensed milk and/or evaporated milk. It is also considered as the national drink of Malaysia.
barista -- (n)[C] a person who serves customers in a coffee shop (= small restaurant that serves coffee)

Resources:

Toast Box Official Website

http://www.toastbox.com.sg/

Teh tarik @ Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh_tarik

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/barista?q=barista

Listening & Video: LegCo's YouTube Page

Image from YouTube

After watching the video below posted by a member of the Tesla Motors Club, I discover this great channel on YouTube which is highly recommended. Great for listening practice and tonnes of English words to learn.

I have also included the Chinese version for your reference.

I'm not going to say much in this post, except the following:

Dr. Fernando Cheung is really unintelligent and he should learn more about the EV productions and battery recycling first before making his points. He should read what I have included below or go read some articles from Tesla Motors Club. There are tonnes of members who have done their research for you, you just need to click and read up.

Dr. Kwok Ka-ki might as well stop using his smartphones and tablets, or even start suggesting taxing smart devices users in Hong Kong because with one more electric device, there will be more greenhouse gases emitted, and there will be energy loss in the process of making it, energy loss in transmission, bla bla bla... Mind him, the total electricity used in the entire Hong Kong is many times more than the electricity used in EVs! Considering the smartphone penetration in Hong Kong is 87%!!! As for Norway, quoting from The Guardian,

"Battery-powered cars in the world's fourth richest country are not just exempt from high rates of purchase tax, and VAT, but pay no road and ferry tolls or parking fees, cost less to insure and can be charged up for free electricity from thousands of points. Local government will also subsidise the installation of charging points in homes. Research suggests the subsidies could be worth nearly £5,000 a year per car."

So FRT is nothing when compared to the EV push in Norway.

I do agree that EVs are not actually a solution to reduction of greenhouse gases, green energy is, and that's why Tesla works with sister company SolarCity to install solar panels everywhere in the States. Hong Kong government should really do something with green energy, then the EVs will truly be green. Which gasoline vehicle can truly be green? None! None!

Every car produces certain level of pollution during manufacturing, and I say "every car", so do not target the EVs. EV batteries can become pollutants if not well-handled, like every part of gasoline vehicle, but for one thing, EV batteries can be recycled in an contained environment to minimise pollution. You tell me, which parts of the gas vehicle batteries can be recycled?

FRT waiver does not mean the Hong Kong government is using tax payers' money to subsidize the EV buyers, it just means that the government is not going to earn the buyers' money as tax.



Resources:
Council meeting(2014/03/26)-III.Motions:Resolution under the Motor Veh.(1st Reg.Tax)Ord.  @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfB7YCCnYfM

立法會會議 (2014/03/26) - III. 議案: 根據《汽車(首次登記稅)條例》動議的擬議決議案 @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXXT_mH0jNE

TMC Community @ Tesla Motors Club
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/forumdisplay.php/85-TMC-Community


iPhone doesn’t really use more power than fridge @ MarketWatch
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iphone-uses-100-times-less-electricity-than-fridge-2013-08-20

Tesla's Closed Loop Battery Recycling Program @ Blog | Tesla Motors
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/teslas-closed-loop-battery-recycling-program

Norway has fallen in love with electric cars – but the affair is coming to an end @ Environment | theguardian.com
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/29/norway-electric-cars-sale