Tectonic hazards
1. Impacts of tectonic hazards
a) not susceptible to majority of tectonic disasters
b) major tectonic movements close to the Sunda Megathrust may still affect Singapore
2. Challenges due to plausible occurrence of tectonic hazards in the region
a) destruction of structures built on reclaimed land, and threat of floods from a mega earthquake
b) threat of ash clouds from volcanic eruptions affecting health and disrupting the economy
3. Opportunities created to mitigate and adapt to tectonic hazards in the region
a) national preparedness plans, use of technology to monitor tectonic movements
b) partnerships between countries on disaster response and recovery
Listen to this podcast whether Singapore can experience earthquake
www.channelnewsasia.com/listen/daily-cuts/could-singapore-ever-experience-earthquake-4242641
Volcanic eruptions could have also affected Singapore as ashes are thrown out during the eruption. However due to the wind direction and the distance of the volcanoes from Singapore, we are not affected by the eruption of the volcanoes in Indonesia in 2014.
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-sumatra-hotspots-and/978920.html
An eruption of Indonesia's Mount Sinabung on 4 February 2014 resulted in an ash plume of 3.6km. Based on dispersion model simulations by the Meteorological Service Singapore as well as Australia's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, the volcanic ash is expected to move southeast, and be confined to the northern half of Sumatra for the next 48 hours. The NEA added that three other volcanoes - Mount Karangatang, Mount Lokon and Mount Paluwah are likely to erupt but pose little threats,
The impacts of ash from volcanic eruption on people:
Health issues esp people with lung problems
Reduction of outdoor activities
Burns and even death from the hot ashes falling onto them
The impacts of ash from volcanic eruption on the environment:
Air pollution
Destruction of forest
Destruction of farmland
Contamination of water sources
The impacts of ash from volcanic eruption on the economy:
Higher medical cost
Lower productivity
Airlines companies suffer losses
Decline in tourists and fall in the tourist receipts
Indonesia has issued a tsunami warning (Possible if the volcano collapse and the rock slides into the sea due to violent eruption) and declared its highest level of alert following a series of volcanic eruptions.
Mount Ruang spat out a column of ash three kilometers high (Volcanic Explosivity Index magnitude 3 which is severe) and erupted many times in April.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the remote northern island where the volcano is located.
How do you think this will affect Singapore?
Use of Technology to monitor Tectonic movements
The following active volcanoes featured below are located near Singapore. 5 volcanic eruptions were recorded on 22 April 2024. How will volcanic eruptions in the region affect Singapore?
https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/weather/regional-volcanic-eruptions
How will earthquake in the region affects Singapore?
https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/weather/regional-earthquake-and-tsunami-alert
The eruption of Mt Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 - the world's largest in the past 100 years - sent ash to Singapore on the evening of June 17.
A plane flying from Changi to Osaka, Japan, was reportedly damaged after being caught in an ash cloud for 30 minutes.
Fine ash from an eruption can infiltrate more deeply into electrical equipment affecting infrastructure and aviation. Damp ash less than 3mm thick can cause short-circuiting on electrical networks, and ash particles can have acidic coatings that can cause corrosion or water-quality issues.
The ash hung in the air here for three weeks before clearing, with some people reporting allergic reactions. Fine ash can penetrate deeper into the lungs. Unlike haze, volcanic ash is made up of sharp, crystalline glass and rock particles, so the impacts are not the same.
The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) alerted aircraft in the airspace it monitored to the volcanic ash which fell in Singapore. MSS closely monitored the developments from the eruption, but back then, it was difficult to know how much ash would travel to Singapore as remote sensing systems were less developed. But now, it has high-resolution satellite images and instruments to better monitor the spread of ash, said MSS. MSS also has an atmospheric dispersion model to simulate how wind, turbulence and rain will shift volcanic ash.
