News

2008.0516

NTNU's Professional Analysis and Research Help Sichuan People Avoid Potential Landslides and Floods

By Bunny Chen Campus Reporter Department of Geography delivered its warning to Chinese authorities today that potential landslides and floods which were created by the major shock in Sichuan may kill some more victims in those devastated areas. "From our study and research with the satellite pictures by the Formosat-2 on May 14, 2008, we discovered a large scale of collapse and barrier lakes.  Continuous after shocks would trigger potential large-scale of landslides or floods, which might kill everybody at the scene,” said Harry Chang (張國楨), director for the Department of Geography, when he was approached for his latest observation and research of the satellite pictures. Upon a contract relationship, Professor Chen Kuo-chuan (陳國川) said that the department has been helping the National Space Organization analyze and research those pictures from Formosat-2 every day.  Meanwhile, the department would also distribute useful information from its research and study of these satellite pictures to related organizations in the world, whoever is concerned. Chang, Chen and their students have been offering their professional analysis and advice of potential natural disasters by observing the changes of geography for years.  Their work was involved in those investigation projects of Taiwan’s 921 earthquake in 1999, tsunami in southeast Asia in 2004, coal mine explosion in Shanxi Province and forest fire in Heilongjiang, both in 2005. Chang was very proud of what his fellow professionals have achieved and said that they will continue and keep up with the good work. "We always do our best to help human beings prevent or avoid great loss by natural catastrophes and we will continue to do that in the future,” Chang said.