Singapore not safe from natural disasters: Scientist
By Karen W Lim
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012
Not many Singaporeans have experienced the tremors of an earthquake or the strong winds of a typhoon.
In fact, Singapore is so sheltered from natural disasters that there is a common misconception that such events will not affect the island.
Is Singapore entirely safe? Absolutely not, says Professor Kerry Sieh from Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS).
"Singaporeans feel the effects of surrounding countries. For example, the Bangkok flooding affected the prices of rice sold here.
"There are bound to be economic and political consequences."
Prof Sieh pointed out that Singaporeans who go on holidays in neighbouring countries should educate themselves on earthquakes and tsunamis, especially those who visit Thailand and Bali.
He even highlighted an example of a student today who might grow up and do business in Myanmar, not knowing that there is a huge earthquake fault there, or that cyclones occur in the region.
In order to educate Singaporeans on the region's dynamic weather patterns and the country's vulnerability to its surroundings, the Singapore Science Centre will launch a new permanent exhibition on March 1.
"Earth - Our Untamed Planet" is an exhibition that brings visitors around seven zones, each zone featuring different elements of the earth's natural forces.
Key exhibits include a typhoon simulator, where visitors can experience gale-force winds of up to 150km per hour, an earthquake simulator that lets visitors feel three types of tremors, a mini replica of Southeast Asia's most active volcano, and a tsunami wave tank.
The exhibition, which cost a few million dollars to set up, was first conceptualised in August 2010.
Teams from EOS and Science Centre travelled to the United States, Japan and Taiwan to gather data as well as visit exhibitions and museums to bring back ideas on how to distill the information for a local audience.
"Earth - Our Untamed Planet" will be a fixed exhibition for the next five years and is part of the general admission to the Science Centre.
By Karen W Lim
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012
Not many Singaporeans have experienced the tremors of an earthquake or the strong winds of a typhoon.
In fact, Singapore is so sheltered from natural disasters that there is a common misconception that such events will not affect the island.
Is Singapore entirely safe? Absolutely not, says Professor Kerry Sieh from Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS).
"Singaporeans feel the effects of surrounding countries. For example, the Bangkok flooding affected the prices of rice sold here.
"There are bound to be economic and political consequences."
Prof Sieh pointed out that Singaporeans who go on holidays in neighbouring countries should educate themselves on earthquakes and tsunamis, especially those who visit Thailand and Bali.
He even highlighted an example of a student today who might grow up and do business in Myanmar, not knowing that there is a huge earthquake fault there, or that cyclones occur in the region.
In order to educate Singaporeans on the region's dynamic weather patterns and the country's vulnerability to its surroundings, the Singapore Science Centre will launch a new permanent exhibition on March 1.
"Earth - Our Untamed Planet" is an exhibition that brings visitors around seven zones, each zone featuring different elements of the earth's natural forces.
Key exhibits include a typhoon simulator, where visitors can experience gale-force winds of up to 150km per hour, an earthquake simulator that lets visitors feel three types of tremors, a mini replica of Southeast Asia's most active volcano, and a tsunami wave tank.
The exhibition, which cost a few million dollars to set up, was first conceptualised in August 2010.
Teams from EOS and Science Centre travelled to the United States, Japan and Taiwan to gather data as well as visit exhibitions and museums to bring back ideas on how to distill the information for a local audience.
"Earth - Our Untamed Planet" will be a fixed exhibition for the next five years and is part of the general admission to the Science Centre.
