Scientific researches are on to understand this phenomenon.
The last decade has brought Gujarat much prosperity, and as many natural calamities too. The latest fear going around in science circles is that the 2004 earthquake may have altered the sea-floor in the Arabian Sea, leading to rise in sea level. This is expected to impact the coastal areas of Gujarat.
Advanced scientific studies are underway to determine the extent of this tectonic shift in the sea floor because of the earthquake that rocked Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2004.
“We know for sure that the ocean floor has changed after the 2004 quake, but we don’t know how much mass has shifted. Preliminary studies are underway to study whether the sea floor has shifted up. This could accentuate sea level rise on Gujarat’s coast. We are trying to get more details,” said secretary, ministry of earth sciences with the government of India, who was in Ahmedabad to attend the national conference on Geomatics at Space Applications Center.
The contour of each region is one of the main reasons attributed to sea level changes. “Changes and slope and gradient are very important,” he said, adding that 26% of Indian population lives within 100 km of the coast, vulnerable to sea-level rise.
But Gujarat is particularly vulnerable, given its dependence on fisheries industries, ports for industry, crucial industrial installations along the coast, and of course the residential population in the areas is steadily increasing, Nayak highlighted.
“Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kutch are amongst those areas in Gujarat which are most vulnerable to any changes in sea level,” he said.
However, Nayak insisted that since the studies are in preliminary stages and nothing has yet been established, it would be improper to panic. But, he says, it is important to be aware of the changes nature has been bestowing us with and deal with them accordingly.
“We have mapped the moon surface, but not the earth’s ocean floor sufficiently. We need to study it in details to determine how the ocean is change and forecast future changes for effective planning of population, climate, agriculture, health, fisheries, tourism, transport and disaster risk management,” he asserted.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}