Academic literature on the topic 'Tsunamis Papua New Guinea Aitape Region'

Tsunamis are long waves that evolve substantially, through spatial and temporal spreading from their source region. Here, we introduce a new analytical solution to study the propagation of a finite strip source over constant depth using linear shallow-water wave theory. This solution is not only exact, but also general and allows the use of realistic initial waveforms such as N -waves. We show the existence of focusing points for N -wave-type initial displacements, i.e. points where unexpectedly large wave heights may be observed. We explain the effect of focusing from a strip source analytically, and explore it numerically. We observe focusing points using linear non-dispersive and linear dispersive theories, analytically; and nonlinear non-dispersive and weakly nonlinear weakly dispersive theories, numerically. We discuss geophysical implications of our solutions using the 17 July 1998 Papua New Guinea and the 17 July 2006 Java tsunamis as examples. Our results may also help to explain high run-up values observed during the 11 March 2011 Japan tsunami, which are otherwise not consistent with existing scaling relationships. We conclude that N -waves generated by tectonic displacements feature focusing points, which may significantly amplify run-up beyond what is often assumed from widely used scaling relationships.

“Facilitating disaster nursing research in Oceania Region” Natural disasters in the Oceania region and surrounds include for example earthquakes, volcanic eruptions (Rabaul, PNG, 1994, Merapi, Indonesia 2006), tsunamis, floods,(Indian Ocean 2004) fires, drought (Australia, 2009) and also pest plaques and pandemics which affected the broader international community. Between 1980 and 2008, there were 380 disaster events reported in the Oceania region in which 4,450 people died. That is approximately 154 deaths and 668,786 people affected at a cost of approximately $US 889 million per year. However despite this significant number of deaths and injuries, there is limited reporting on the nursing experience during such disasters or the impact of nursing on communities during response and recovery. This is due to the prioritised clinical focus of nursing resources of most countries during these events. A network of authors and researchers is being established in the area to support the reporting of nursing research in developing countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Indonesia where nurses receive little post basic education, have limited opportunities to review the evidence for practice in disaster and emergency nursing, yet are regularly required to support the multidisciplinary disaster health team without essential support from the nursing research community. The network is essentially web-based and consists of a translational research approach via a network grid of researchers in response to a disaster event. Researchers from neighboring countries not clinically involved in the event respond by discovering and accessing data, analysing and reporting through a portal that enables timely reporting for discussion, publication, e-learning and dissemination of contemporary disaster nursing practices. This paper will report on the development of the network and its nexus with the WADEM Nursing Research Committee.

The 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami was a significant puzzle for scientists who finally cracked the cause, but it also marks the most recent event of many that can be dated back to at least 6,000 years ago where the skull of the oldest tsunami victim in the world was found. Papua New Guinea was also the starting point for the most remarkable navigational feat in the world, with Polynesians moving rapidly east into the Pacific Ocean, their settlement of the region being punctuated by hiatuses caused by catastrophic tsunamis approximately 3,000, 2,000, and 600 years ago. It was on isolated Pacific islands that humans first came into contact with the deadly Pacific Ring of Fire. Settlement abandonment, mass graves, and cultural collapse mark their progress.