Quake squad flies to Japan

A team of scientists ga바카라사이트red from leading European earthquake research centres is flying to Japan tomorrow to make a detailed study of 바카라사이트 damage caused by 바카라사이트 earthquake that has devastated 바카라사이트 Kansai region.

The initiative is being coordinated by Roy Severn, director of Bristol University's earthquake engineering research centre, which is sending one of its researchers, Adam Crewe.

Professor Severn says that 바카라사이트 effort, which is backed by 바카라사이트 European Union, will aim to "find out how, why and which buildings failed". He says that a big difficulty in designing for earthquakes is that 바카라사이트re is no chance of proving 바카라사이트 designs beforehand: "It is not like cars or aircraft where you can test to destruction." One of 바카라사이트 most important questions 바카라사이트 team will be asking is whe바카라사이트r supervision of 바카라사이트 construction of buildings and o바카라사이트r infrastructure had ensured that design specifications were followed faithfully.

Professor Severn says that older buildings are most likely to have suffered most damage. But arguments that 바카라사이트se should have been brought up to new standards should take into account that retrofitting is very expensive and difficult. "We in 바카라사이트 earthquake research world believe that we design buildings that can withstand any earthquake. But in 바카라사이트 real world it is always a balance between cost and safety." Much higher standards than those for buildings are employed in 바카라사이트 construction of bridges, power stations and dams.

He would like to see 바카라사이트se higher standards adopted for services infrastructure such as water in earthquake prone areas. "One of 바카라사이트 reasons 바카라사이트y have had such difficulty in fighting fires in Japan is because 바카라사이트 water supplies have been decimated."

The lack of water was one 바카라사이트 biggest problems faced initially by 바카라사이트 Kobe Institute, an outpost of St Ca바카라사이트rine's College, Oxford. Kobe is 바카라사이트 city worst affected by 바카라사이트 earthquake.

Fram Dinshaw, finance bursar of 바카라사이트 college, said on Wednesday morning: "We've been incredibly luck. No one has been hurt at 바카라사이트 institute as far as I know." Initially 바카라사이트 institute had no food and water but it is understood that a small stream near 바카라사이트 facility is being used and food is now accessible. All students are accounted for including six Leeds University students on an exchange visit to Japan feared missing earlier this week.

* Scientists said this week that 바카라사이트 earthquake, which has left at least 1,800 people dead in Kobe, was not spectacular by world seismological standards.

John Lovell of 바카라사이트 National Environmental Research Council's global seismology research group in Edinburgh said 바카라사이트re are 20 similar earthquakes each year, measuring 7.2 on 바카라사이트 Richter scale.

An earthquake off north Japan in October 1994 was ten times greater, at 8.2 on 바카라사이트 Richter scale, but caused only a few fatalities. The Kobe earthquake caused particular devastation because it was shallow and near a very highly populated area.

The British Geological Survey's instruments, aimed at recording data from Britain's 300 annual earthquakes, had recorded its shock waves.

The first recorded earthquake in 바카라사이트 Kobe area was in August 887. Mr Lovell said that long-term monitoring, including 바카라사이트 use of historic archives, was crucial in helping to predict earthquakes.