Large-scale Damage Research Articles

Specific Technologies of Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Operations over the Years

The twentieth century was a period of rapid development in aviation. It was a time of great progress in the construction of aircraft, the development of ground infrastructure and the improvement of qualifications of aviation personnel. Over the years, aviation has gone from cruise flights in simple aircraft to transatlantic flights, complex aircraft with hundreds of passengers on board. Military aviation can operate at speeds exceeding the speed of sound and in all weather conditions. The infrastructure of large airports has reached the size of cities. Over the past century, the development of aviation has been followed by changes in the organization and equipment of rescue and fire-fighting services. The public does not accept the loss of human life or large-scale material damage and environmental damage. In the search for effective extinguishing agents and methods of administering them, people began to look for ways other than field fire services. Specialized firefighting units have appeared at airports, which are designed for specific rescue and firefighting operations on aircraft and infrastructure. For many years, attempts have been made to select special rescue and firefighting technologies capable of improving the effectiveness and safety of operations. Quite quickly, the car was chosen as the means of transport for airport rescue services. But over time, the need was recognized for it to have different characteristics and equipment than a vehicle for village and town safety units. As a result of various experiments, unusual technical solutions designed to solve basic problems specific to airports were developed. Equally interesting was the path to determining the best fire extinguishing agents and their means of administration. From hand-held fire extinguishers to remote-controlled cannons administering thousands of liters or kilograms of extinguishing agents over a long distance. The publication provides information on the history and development of basic firefighting technologies specific to aviation and some pointers to the future.

Assessing flash flood erosion following storm Daniel in Libya

The eastern Mediterranean basin is witnessing increased storm activity impacting populous urban coastal areas that historically were not prone to catastrophic flooding. In the fall of 2023, Storm Daniel struck the eastern coast of Libya, causing unprecedented flash floods with a tragic death toll and large-scale infrastructure damages. We use Sentinel-1A C-band SAR images to characterize the resulting flash flood erosion and sediment load dynamics across the watersheds and to map damages within coastal cities at their outlets. Our results suggest that sediment loading, resulting from surface erosion, increased the density of turbid streams. The above exacerbated the catastrophic impact of the flash floods in the coastal cities of Derna and Susah, where 66% and 48% of their respective urban surface have experienced moderate-to-high damages. Our findings highlight the increased vulnerability of coastal watersheds in arid areas within the eastern Mediterranean basin due to the forecasted increase in hydroclimatic extremes and call for a transformative coastal management approach to urgently implement nature-based solutions and land-use changes to mitigate these rising risks.

Training on creating learning media for handling of disaster mitigation for elementary school teachers

Background: Indonesia is known as a disaster-prone country, the total amount of damage due to disasters is said to be the fourth largest in the world. The impact of global warming results in very high rainfall and large-scale damage. Apart from weather disasters, a number of damages also occur due to geological disasters. To stop disaster damage in the long term, it is important to create sustainable communities. It is important not to separate the environment and disaster prevention, but to learn about the nature that sometimes threatens us just as we learn about the nature around us. Under these conditions, until now Indonesia has not included practical disaster education in the learning curriculum, because it is considered important to include disaster management training in school communities. Because of this, disaster management methods were tested in Japan, tested in elementary schools in the city of Mataram, Indonesia. This research aims to evaluate whether adapting traditional Japanese educational methods such as "exploring the environment (Machitanken)" and "picture story performances (Kamishibai)", and presentations (hapyoukai) are adapted to local conditions. existing policies in Indonesia, can be applied in Indonesia. Methods: This research was conducted in the city of Mataram, carried out for one year via Zoom, involving 7 elementary school teachers, one middle school teacher, three lecturers. Findings: The participants were given knowledge about how to provide disaster education. Conclusion: To further strengthen teachers' abilities and skills in teaching about disasters, teachers were given training for 6 months via Zoom and for one week in Kitakyushu City to make teaching materials. Novelty/Originality of this Study: The novelty of this study lies in its implementation of disaster mitigation education for elementary school teachers in Mataram using traditional Japanese methods such as Machitanken and Kamishibai. This approach is unique as it integrates cultural techniques from Japan into the Indonesian educational context, aiming to enhance teachers' ability to educate students on disaster preparedness in a practical and engaging manner.

Large-scale building damage assessment based on recurrent neural networks using SAR coherence time series: A case study of 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake

The Turkey–Syria earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, have caused significant human casualties and economic damage. Emergency services require quick and accurate assessments of widespread building damage in affected areas. This can be facilitated by using remote sensing methods, specifically all-day and all-weather Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). In this study, we aimed to improve the detection of building anomalies in earthquake-affected areas using SAR images. To achieve this, we employed Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to train coherence time series and predict co-seismic coherence. This approach allowed us to generate a Damage Proxy Map (DPM) for building damage assessment. The results of our study indicated that the estimated proportion of building damage in Kahramanmaras was approximately 24.08%. These findings were consistent with the actual damage observed in the field. Moreover, when utilizing the mean and standard deviation of coherence time series, our method achieved higher accuracy (0.761) and a lower false alarm rate (0.136) compared to directly using coherence with only two views of SAR data. Overall, our study demonstrates that this method provides an accurate and reliable approach for post-earthquake building damage assessment.

Increasing risk of glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya under climate warming

The increasing risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Eastern Himalaya is exacerbated by climate change-driven glacial ice mass loss, slowdown, and increasing infrastructure projects in the high-altitude regions. To quantify the current risk of potential future disasters we update the inventory of glacial lakes in Sikkim Himalaya, identify the most potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGL) and model their peak discharge in different scenarios. The updated glacial lake inventory includes 232 glacial lakes (of >0.01 km2) covering a cumulative area of 22.23 ± 0.10 km2. Our GLOF susceptibility mapping of all moraine-dammed glacial lakes using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) reveals one lake as very high risk, eight as high risk, 22 as medium risk, 56 as low risk, and 18 as very low risk. Further, we apply dam break flood simulations for the seven most dangerous lakes. Results reveal highest peak discharges of 9504 m3 s−1 and 8421 m3 s−1 in extreme case scenarios from the Khanchung and South Lhonak lakes, respectively. The lowest peak discharge of 622 m3 s−1 is estimated in a normal outburst event for Yongdi lake, with every scenario at least 447 m3 s−1 discharge is reaching to Chungthang town. We find that more than 10,000 people face direct threat of GLOF with potential large-scale infrastructure damage (∼1900 settlement, 5 bridges and 2 hydropower plants). The updated glacial lake dataset, GLOF susceptibility mapping, and modeling results demonstrate the urgent need to install an early warning system and control breaching of highly dangerous lakes.

Spalling characteristics of sandstone containing rectangle hole with gradient cavity height: An experimental and DEM numerical study

Spalling failure commonly exists during the progressive excavation of underground engineering, and the stepped excavation of underground mining stope is rarely simulated in previous studies. Therefore, the biaxial compression test is finished by sandstone samples containing rectangular hole (with different cavity heights), and the corresponding numerical simulation is conducted by the discrete element method. Based on the mechanical, optical and acoustic data captured during the test, the main results and conclusions are as follows: 1) There are two paths to activate the typical spalling failure, the first way is caused by the rapid energy release (manifested as sudden AE burst), and the second way is that the released energy accumulates to a threshold over a long period and finally causes large-scale damage. 2) The relatively larger cavity height delayed the initiation of central tensile failure in the roof & bottom surrounding rocks and the spalling failure in sidewalls. 3) The relatively larger confining pressure contributes to the early construction of the spalling failure and limits the extension of the central tensile crack bands. 4) The construction of spalling failure is very fast, the ejected rock plates are caused by several rounds of spalling failure, and the final V-shaped groove is built by the spalling failure and internal crushing failure.

Parameters controlling the expansive behavior of bentonite-kaolin mixtures stabilized with alkali-activated waste

Expansive soils can cause large-scale damage to the infrastructure. Soil stabilization with Portland cement and lime has been widely utilized as a solution to this problem. However, these stabilizers are non-renewable and energy-intensive. Alkali-activated binders are alternatives with lower carbon dioxide emissions. This research evaluated an expansive soil stabilization with an alkali-activated binder produced from sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), hydrated eggshell lime (HEL) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Free-swelling tests alongside a statistical analysis evaluated the influence of dry unit weight (12.5 and 14.5 kN/m3), binder (4 and 10%) and moisture content (19.7 and 24.7%) and curing time (0 and 7 days) on the stabilized mixtures. A four factors factorial design with duplicates and central points was outlined. To better understand the NaOH and SCBA influence over the soil expansion additional tests were performed. In general, an increase on the studied factors reduced swelling, especially binder content. However, the alkali-activated cement presented no clear correlation between higher density and higher expansion. Swell reduced from 13.8% (12.5 kN/m3 and 19.7% moisture) and 8.8% (12.5 kN/m3 and 24.7% moisture) to 2.5% and 0%, respectively, after 7 days and 10% binder addition for the alkaline cement. For Portland cement, swell reduced from 13.8% (10.2 kN/m3 and 22.5% moisture) and 12.5% (10.2 kN/m3 and 27.5% moisture) to 1.8% and 1%, respectively, after 7 days and 4% binder addition. Samples containing NaOH expanded less than samples molded with only water. Finally, the alternative binder might be a viable option to replace Portland cement for expansion control.

Influence of milk phospholipids on microstructural changes in rat liver under tetracycline-induced hepatosis

The growing number of cases of adverse effects of medicines on the liver leads to hepatopathology and the development of complications such as cirrhosis, necrosis, liver failure, and liver carcinoma. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the characteristic structural changes in the liver of rats with tetracycline damage and to find out the corrective effectiveness of milk phospholipids. The study performed histological examination of sections from different parts of the liver in experimental rats, which were stained with haematoxylin and eosin according to the conventional method. It was found that in case of artificial modelling of tetracycline-induced hepatosis in rats, the general architecture of the liver is preserved. At the same time, large-scale damage to hepatocytes and the development of fatty and granular dystrophy were recorded in the affected animals. Some of the damaged cells were destroyed, followed by lysis of fragments of the destroyed cells. The described microscopic changes were most pronounced in the areas of the liver under its capsule. As a result, there was partial or complete disorganisation of the liver lobes in all lobes of the organ. The use of milk phospholipids in the form of a biologically active additive “FLP-MD” as a corrective therapy in sick rats prevented the development of hepatocyte dyscomplexity, contributed to a substantial reduction in the count of destroyed cells in a state of dystrophy with isolated cases of disordered organisation of the liver laminae. This suggests a pronounced stimulatory effect of milk phospholipids on the processes of hepatocyte regeneration and repair in tetracycline-induced liver damage in rats. In case of separate administration of a milk phospholipid-based supplement to clinically healthy animals, the microscopic structure of liver samples did not differ from that of the control group. The findings of this study are of practical value for pathologists, clinicians, and therapists in case of development of drug-induced hepatopathology in animals, especially when using tetracycline antibiotics, and for determining the strategy in the treatment of such patients

Multi-temporal Monitoring for Road Slope Collapse by Means of LUTAN-1 SAR Data and High Resolution Optical Data

Abstract. Collapse is one of the most destructive natural disaster, being sudden, frequent, and highly concealed, causing large-scale damage. On August 10, 2023, the slope of 108 national highway in Weinan, Shaanxi Province collapsed. The lower edge of the collapse slope body is the Luohe river, and the collapse body rushes into the river to form a barrier lake. Remote sensing technique can provide multiple dimensional information for disaster emergency and management. Lutan-1 SAR satellites are the first group L-band SAR constellation for multiple applications in China. Owing to the precise orbit control ability and high revisit characteristics for Lutan-1 SAR satellites, surface deformation monitoring with centimeter even millimeter accuracy may be achieved. Based on the multi-temporal pre-disaster and post-disaster Lutan-1 SAR data and high resolution optical data, the collapse information including the pre-disaster and post-disaster were extracted and analysed. From July 11 to 27, 2023, the pre-collapse deformation was obtained with the maximum value of 6 cm, and obvious deformation occurred before the collapse. Lutan-1 monitored results pre-collapse can provide certain information for disaster early identification. From July 27 to August 24, 2023, due to the serious incoherence caused by large deformation and ground changes, effective deformation information cannot be obtained based on the InSAR technique. In addition, the collapse information was clearly extracted by the high resolution optical data acquired pre-collapse and post collapse. After the collapse, significant deformation was extracted from August 24 to September 21 with the maximum value of 6 cm, indicating that obvious deformation still occurred over the collapse area. Through the analysis for the series results obtained by SAR and optical data, it is favourable for disaster emergency and management.

Self-healing coatings for large-scale damages via ultrahigh load capacity of healing agents in short kapok microtubules

Self-healing materials, due to their ability to autonomously repair damages, have been extensively applied in the field of metal corrosion protection. However, prior self-healing coatings are powerless against large-scale damages limited by their relatively low amounts of prestored self-healing agents in microcontainers, which severely restricts their long-term anticorrosion performance. Herein, to address this issue, we propose a simple strategy to prestore a water-soluble cerium-based corrosion inhibitor, cerium gluconate, into Kapok fibers through a cyclic process of vacuum drying after saturation with the inhibitor solution, and the load capacity of cerium gluconate in Kapok (CG@K) by this approach can reach up to 455 wt%. This new loading system is relatively easy to be carried out while give an ultrahigh load capacity, and applicable to encapsulate other healing agents theoretically. The Kapok fibers embedded uniformly in the self-healing coatings exhibit a dense three-dimensional network structure, which, along with the ultra-high loading content, renders the self-healing coatings distinguished corrosion resistance. It is worth noting that the self-healing coatings achieve a remarkable ability to autonomously repair large-scale cracks up to 400 μm. This work provides an option for fabricating high agent load capacity and shows tremendous potential for designing self-healing coatings for large-scale damages.

Scalable and rapid building damage detection after hurricane Ian using causal Bayesian networks and InSAR imagery

Timely and accurate assessment of hurricane-induced building damage is crucial for effective post-hurricane response and recovery efforts. Recently, remote sensing technologies provide large-scale optical or Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) imagery data immediately after a disastrous event, which can be readily used to conduct rapid building damage assessment. Compared to optical satellite imageries, the Synthetic Aperture Radar can penetrate cloud cover and provide more complete spatial coverage of damaged zone in various weather conditions. However, these InSAR imageries often contain highly noisy and mixed signals induced by co-occurring or co-located building damage, flood, flood/wind-induced vegetation changes, as well as anthropogenic activities, making it challenging to extract accurate building damage information. In this paper, we introduced a causality-informed Bayesian network inference approach for rapid post-hurricane building damage detection from InSAR imagery. This approach encoded complex causal dependencies among wind, flood, building damage, and InSAR imagery using a holistic causal Bayesian network. Based on the causal Bayesian network, we further jointly inferred the large-scale unobserved building damage by fusing the information from InSAR imagery with prior physical models of flood and wind, without the need for ground truth labels. Furthermore, we validated our estimation results in a real-world devastating hurricane—the 2022 Hurricane Ian. We gathered and annotated building damage ground truth data in Lee County, Florida, and compared the introduced method’s estimation results with the ground truth and also benchmarked it against state-of-the-art models to assess the effectiveness of our proposed method. The results show that our method advances building damage assessment after hurricanes by accurately reflecting the complex dynamics between wind and flood impacts. Notably, it achieves this without the need for a ground truth label, which is a substantial step forward from traditional methods. Our model registers a 22.6% increase in the Area Under the Curve (AUC) and a 46.29% enhancement in the True Positive Rate (TPR). Moreover, it expedites the detection of building damage, cutting down processing times by up to 83.8%. These improvements mark a considerable leap in efficiency, demonstrating our method’s ability to streamline the assessment process markedly over conventional methods.

Trade Competitiveness and Sustainability Policies of Malaysian Palm Oil in the European Union: Strategic Responses by Stakeholders Agencies

The Malaysian palm oil industry is a significant contributor towards national development and economic growth. However, the industry has been facing rising tension to ensure sustainable development, as global demand for palm oil continue to grow in the coming years. The necessity for producing and trading sustainably produced palm oil is amplified with the European Union’s stringent requirement for importing responsibly sourced commodities into its market, with the aim to achieve climateneutral by 2050. The palm oil industry is also inundated with anti-palm oil campaigns and agendas, which emphasize allegations of unsustainable agricultural practices as large-scale plantations damage the natural ecosystem in producing countries. Collectively, these challenges could pose a formidable impact on the trade of palm oil between Malaysia and the European Union. Therefore, the article seeks to examine the strategic responses undertaken by Malaysian stakeholder agencies to address the regulations pertaining to sustainable production of palm oil. Using a qualitative approach, a total of ten sessions of in-depth interviews were held with expert informants in stakeholder agencies, both in Malaysia and the European Union. Among the key findings were the formulation and implementation of the National Agricommodity Policy, deployment of various missions to the European Union, implementation of Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification as the national sustainability scheme, dissemination of accurate information on sustainable and certified palm oil, and continuous engagement through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Based on the findings, this study suggests that inclusive and transparent engagement must be conducted continuously. Constantly held dialogue sessions will help to promote better understanding and fruitful collaboration among stakeholder agencies in Malaysia and the European Union to balance environmental concerns with trade interests.

Control of Escherichia coli in Poultry Using the In Ovo Injection Technique.

Pathogens, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), have been identified as significant causes of poultry mortality. Poultry can serve as potential sources of E. coli transmission, even when asymptomatic, posing a substantial threat to food safety and human health. The in ovo administration of antimicrobials is crucial for preventing and/or effectively combating acute and chronic infections caused by poultry pathogens. To achieve this goal, it is critical that antimicrobials are properly injected into embryonic fluids, such as the amnion, to reach target tissues and trigger robust antimicrobial responses. Several protocols based on antimicrobials were evaluated to meet these requirements. This review analyzed the impacts of antimicrobial substances injected in ovo on the control of E. coli in poultry. The reduction in infection rates, resulting from the implementation of in ovo antimicrobials, combined with efforts aimed at hygienic-sanitary action plans in poultry sheds, reinforces confidence that E. coli can be contained before causing large scale damage. For example, antimicrobial peptides and probiotics have shown potential to provide protection to poultry against infections caused by E. coli. Issues related to the toxicity and bacterial resistance of many synthetic chemical compounds represent challenges that need to be overcome before the commercial application of in ovo injection protocols focused on microbiological control.

System Fragility Analysis of Bridges Based on Response Variables Dimensionality Reduction

Earthquake resistance of bridge structures is an important part of ensuring the functionality of transportation network systems. The structural system of a bridge is composed of multiple components, and the damage of different components may affect the function of the bridge, while the system seismic fragility analysis provides an effective way to evaluate the overall seismic performance of the bridge. In the past, the failure probability of a system is often estimated by the correlation between components, but the complex correlation between components brings certain difficulties to the actual calculation. In this paper, an efficient, accurate and universal method of system fragility analysis is proposed. This method decouples the correlation between components from the perspective of relative damage, adopts the critical demand-to-capacity ratio as the response variable of the system, realizing the dimensionality reduction of the response variables and simplifying the system fragility analysis from high-dimensional fragility analysis to one-dimensional fragility analysis. This methodology offers a viable solution to the challenges posed by the wide estimation of fragility boundaries in the boundaries estimation method and the complexities involved in analyzing correlation of components in the joint probability method. Comparison with traditional methods indicates that the proposed method exhibits high efficiency and convenience, making it suitable for practical engineering applications in system fragility computation. The proposed method holds great potential for future applications in the field of complex bridge structure fragility analysis, large-scale regional seismic damage prediction, rapid assessment, and beyond.

Experimental study on failure mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock–coal combination under dynamic disturbance

This study aims to investigate the failure mechanical properties of deep soft rock–coal combinations when subjected to dynamic disturbance. Hence, uniaxial compression and dynamic disturbance experiments were conducted on samples of muddy sandstone, coal, and soft rock–coal combinations using a creep disturbance dynamic impact loading experimental system. This study analyzed the damage properties of soft rock–coal combinations under dynamic disturbance by combining sample failure characteristics, energy evolution, and waveform signals of samples using the acoustic emission system. Results indicate that the peak strength and modulus of elasticity of the soft rock–coal combinations under uniaxial compression and dynamic disturbance are intermediate between those of coal and rock. The strength deterioration effect of the rock–coal combinations under dynamic disturbance is obvious, and the peak strength of the roof–coal and coal–floor combinations are reduced by 6.17% and 10.30%, respectively. Dynamic disturbances increase the degree of damage to the rock–coal combinations, which is accompanied by large amounts of coal fragments and large fragments of the rock–coal combinations. The failure to the sample is primarily caused by the extension of tensile damage, with the development of shear cracks playing a secondary role. The soft rock-coal combinations undergo small-scale damage at the initial disturbance (N1), with large main frequency eigenvalues. Large-scale damage occurs at the time of failure (N2), with smaller main frequency eigenvalues, sharp fluctuations in the acoustic emission signal, and peaks in the absolute AE energy and counts.

Large-scale damage assessment of buildings considering SSI and site amplification: The case of Thessaloniki

Our study introduces a methodology to improve large-scale seismic damage assessment by incorporating site-specific fragility curves, considering soil–structure interaction (SSI) and site amplification (SAmp) effects. The proposed method proposes an enhanced building exposure model, using publicly available data and the open-source OpenQuake Engine software. The objective is to determine whether a more refined approach incorporating SSI and SAmp can impact the final damage calculation. We evaluate our approach by estimating the damage distribution for the Thessaloniki 1978 earthquake scenario using the actual building stock of Thessaloniki. We present several maps with aggregated damages at different levels to investigate the spatial variability of SSI and SAmp, and their influence on the resulting damages. Our estimated physical damages have been compared with those obtained using approaches from the existing literature. Apparently, using an updated building exposure model to assess damages makes any comparison with past observed damages challenging. Nevertheless, incorporating SSI and SAmp in large-scale damage assessment can provide valuable support for strategic decision-making in cities and improve the accuracy of the expected loss assessment due to a seismic event.

Modelling of Mode I delamination using a stress intensity factor enhanced cohesive zone model

Cohesive zone modelling is a common approach to capture delamination in composite laminate structures. Recent experimental advancements now enable the direct measurement of Mode I traction-separation responses (TSRs) from a single specimen using the composite rigid double cantilever beam (cRDCB), overcoming a major obstacle in using cohesive zone modelling to model delamination. However, TSRs measured experimentally with the cRDCB specimen capture damage response as well as the stiffness contribution of the adjacent laminae, which can introduce significant artificial compliance into numerical models when modelling delamination separately from intralaminar behaviour. A two-stage analysis procedure utilizing a crack tip compensation function is presented to enhance the TSRs measured with the cRDCB specimen to accurately model Mode I delamination. The analysis procedure is demonstrated to improve the accuracy of delamination prediction within the statistical variation of published experimental data. Furthermore, the transferability of TSRs measured with cRDCB specimens is explored using available experimental DCB data. It is shown that the onset of damage and early damage behaviours measured with the cRDCB specimen appear to be transferable between geometries, whilst large-scale damage mechanics remain geometry dependent.

A smart platform for monitoring the whole life-course of self-healing coatings with the cooperation of self-reporting microcapsules and coating matrix

Constructing a smart system with the capability to self-report the whole life-course of self-healing coatings, containing damage, self-healing, and restoration of protection capability after maintenance of large-scale damages, is a formidable challenge. In this study, we propose a facile strategy to address this issue by developing an intelligent platform using acrylic coating containing pH-responsive microcapsules loaded with phenolphthalein indicator. Upon damage, the color probes are released from the microcapsules and turn pink to locate cracks due to increased pH in the cathode region. The smart platform enables the sequencing of anticorrosion dynamics for various self-healing coatings as the slender pink color resulting from the low hydroxide ion generation rate signals the high anticorrosion efficiency. The highest-performance coating containing smart microspheres loaded with cerium acetate as corrosion inhibitors was easily screened, which was validated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Furthermore, the hydroxide ions generated during electrogalvanic reactions could be consumed by coating matrix of acrylic resin through ester hydrolysis after repairing cracks. Hence, smart platform can be employed to evaluate the restoration of coating protection by monitoring the disappearance of the pink color. This facile yet effective strategy exhibits tremendous potential for real-time monitoring of the entire life-cycle and rapid screening of excellent self-healing coating formulations.

The Tsunami Generated by the Gorringe Bank Fault: Analyzing Wave Heights and Travel Time in the Atlantic Coast of Morocco

Two hundred sixty-eight years (about three centuries) since the 1755 Lisbon tsunami, which provoked large-scale damage in Portugal, Spain and Morocco. Scientists in several countries have mobilized to develop investigative methods to study this extraordinary tsunami, with the aim of reducing the impact of waves in future events and protecting and warning populations at risk. However, the most important question remains whether the entire damaged community has sufficient information about the impact to prepare for tsunami risks. The aim of this paper is to determine the maximum wave heights in selected cities located within high-risk tsunami zones in Morocco, as well as the tsunami arrival time for each site. We used the Non-linear Shallow Water model With Nested Grids (NSWING) code to model tsunami propagation. Six cities were determined as observation points as being the subject of tsunami studies in previous work, namely Tangier, Asilah, Rabat, Casablanca, El-Jadida and Safi. The maximum wave height calculated within the Atlantic coast of Morocco exceeds 5 m in some locations and the first waves reach the Moroccan coast in 60 minutes. The authorities might utilize these results to develop evacuation plans.

The impact of the Ukrainian food crisis on the globalized world

The article is devoted to an overview of the main effects of the food crisis in Ukraine, caused by the Russian invasion, in relation to the world situation in the food sector. The author gives a systemic outline of the macro-level impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on the problems of hunger, access to healthy food, prospects for destabilization processes in the sphere of food production and supply. The most significant aspects of the influence of hostilities on the production of agricultural products in Ukraine and on its export are considered. We are analyzing the consequences in the field of global pricing on food markets, the global fight against hunger in different countries. The global food crisis, which began long before the Russian invasion, has turned into a lever of global political struggle. Despite the partial leveling of processes in the field of global food security in 2023, it is not yet possible to talk about a return to the indicators of the beginning of 2022. We highlight the general aspects of the operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the consequences of the disruption of its operation are considered. The author notes the ambiguity of the case with the Black Sea Grain Initiative; this ambiguity is illustrated by the position of five Eastern European countries, at whose request the European Commission limited the sale of Ukrainian grain on their territories. The dependence of the global situation in the field of food security on political intrigues and nuances further complicates the process of overcoming food problems. This case causes reputational damage to Ukraine in addition to the direct damage caused by the Russian invasion. It records the growth of crisis processes in the fields related to the food sphere and the ambiguity of the positions of individual European states regarding the crisis of Ukrainian grain exports. We made a conclusion about the large-scale damage caused to the stability of the world food market by direct and indirect consequences of the war in Ukraine, and about the negative prospects of this problematic field.