Questions for discussion

Ring of Fire

Kokoda

Dust storm

EPISODE 28

13TH OCTOBER 2009

Amazing race

F1Schools

Focus Questions

Ring of fire

EPISODE 28

13TH OCTOBER 2009

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will

develop a deeper

understanding of

how and why

earthquakes and

tsunamis occur.

Related Research Links

Focus Questions

More about dust

EPISODE 28

13TH OCTOBER 2009

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will

develop an

understanding of

the impact of wind

erosion and ways

that it can be

reduced.

About your research

Further investigations

Related Research Links

BtN: Episode 27 Transcripts 13/10/09

On this week's Behind the News:

What is the ring of fire? And how does it create earthquakes?

Why some parts of Australia ended up looking more like Mars.

And the schools competing in an international F1 comp.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to another week of Behind the News.

Also on the show today – we find out why a tourist attraction popular

with Aussies has been claiming lives.

Those items later, but first Kirsty has been checking out a story that’s

causing serious controversy around the world.

The Wire

TV show Hey Hey it's Saturday has been left red faced.

Its Red Faces talent segment received tonnes of criticism for a skit

which some people thought was racist.

A group wearing black makeup did a take-off of the Jackson Five but

it upset guest judge Harry Connick Junior.

HARRY CONNICK JR: Man if they turned up like that in the United

States it would be like hey hey there is no more show.

In the United States musical acts that paint their faces black are seen

as very offensive to black Americans.

DARYL SOMERS: It didn't occur to me until afterwards but I think

we may have offended you with that act and I deeply apologise.

HARRY CONNICK JR: We've spent so much time trying to not make

black people look like buffoons

The act was criticised on TV shows and websites, but a lot of people

defended it as well.

The people in the act say it was just a joke and never meant to offend.

But critics say the producers should never have let it go to air.

Presenter: Ok so because that has become a really big issue - we

want to know what you think. You can write a comment and vote in

our poll.

The question is 'Should the Hey Hey skit have gone to air?'

There's a special page on our website to vote and have your say.

Ring of Fire

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: OK now to our features. During the school holidays you

might have seen some pretty upsetting pictures from overseas.

There were two big earthquakes. One in the Pacific ocean caused a

Tsunami in Samoa and one hit Sumatra which is an island in

Indonesia.

Earthquakes happen all the time, all over the world, but sometimes it

seems like they hit some places more than others.

Sarah's had a look at why Samoa and Sumatra are on particularly

shaky ground.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: September 29th, about 7am, a series

of massive waves ripped through coastal villages in Samoa, turning

homes and streets to rubble. It was caused by a huge earthquake on

the sea floor just off the Samoan coast. Just one day later a powerful

earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Hundreds were

killed and injured. So what's going on? Could the two disasters be

connected or is it just a terrible co-incidence?

REPORTER: Well the first one was here, near Samoa, and the other

one was over here in Sumatra. That's about 10,000 km’s away so it’s

really unlikely that one earthquake could have caused another and

earthquakes are happening all the time so the timing was probably

just coincidence. Scientists are still looking into that.

But let's have a closer look at the location. Now let's go back and have

a look at some more, smaller earthquakes that have happened in the

past two weeks and the past year. Are you starting to see a pattern?

About 90 percent of the world's earthquakes happen in this stretch.

It’s known as the Ring of Fire. Some of the largest earthquakes we've

ever seen, like the one that caused this massive tsunami in 2004,

happened in the Ring of Fire. It’s also home to three quarters of the

world's volcanoes and some of the biggest eruptions. This is no

coincidence and it shows us a lot about what's going on under the

earth.

REPORTER: We usually think of the ground we stand on as being

"rock solid", right? Well guess what? It's not! If you went down far

enough you'd find red hot molten rock. The thin, cool layer we live on

floats on top. It's called the crust but it’s not one solid piece.

It’s made up of huge slabs called tectonic plates and you'll notice that

quite a few meet along the Ring of Fire. Tectonic plates drift on the

liquid rock, slowly changing shape and position over time. Scientist

reckon over millions of years the drifting tectonic plates changed the

shape of continents completely but they only move about the rate that

your fingernails grow so you can't see it happen. But you can see the

results.

Mountains like this were created by tectonic plates pushing together.

Volcanoes can also happen when plates meet - and earthquakes.

Sometimes underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis; massive waves

like the one that hit Samoa. At the Pacific Tsunami Warning centre

they track earthquakes and warn people of where and when a tsunami

is likely to hit. But often there isn't much time to get a warning out

and it’s still not possible to predict exactly where and when an

earthquake will hit. Millions of people live in the Ring of Fire so it’s

important that we know as much as possible about the volatile earth

beneath their feet.

Quiz 1

It’s interesting and a bit scary to know what’s really happening under

our feet, but it’s reassuring to remember Australia isn't in a high risk

area.e

But we still might do a quiz about it.

Are there volcanos in Australia?

Answer: Yes

Presenter: There are no active volcanoes in Oz but there are some

dormant and extinct ones. There's a list on our website of which ones

are where.

Kokoda

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Walking the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, is on the

'list of things to do' for many Aussies.

It was a really important site during the Second World War, so now

record numbers are tackling it.

But sadly, four walkers this year have died trying.

It's leading some people to say that while it's great so many people

want to give it a go, it might not be appropriate for everyone.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: In 1942, Australian soldiers found

themselves here in the mud, the heat, and the rain of the Kokoda

Track.

The Second World War was raging, and they were seen as the last line

of defence against the Japanese invading Australia.

Fierce fighting stretched out over many months on the ninety-six long

kilometres of this jungle-bound track, in Papua New Guinea.

Terrible diseases also took their toll.

By the end, the Aussies had succeeded in repelling the Japanese, but

at a cost of more than 600 lives.

Fast forward nearly 70 years and things have changed a lot.

There's no fighting, and no weapons.

There are still lots of people who walk along this track though, but

they're not soldiers.

They're regular Aussies hoping to walk in the footsteps of the fallen

soldiers before them and they are now coming here in record

numbers to tackle the extreme conditions.

But while there are lots of people who want to pay tribute to our

diggers, this year some have run into trouble.

Four have died from medical problems in the tough conditions, and

others have been injured.

Because while lots of Aussies want to climb the track, some may not

be fit enough to survive it.

NATHAN: Most people preparing to trek Kokoda are told to do plenty

of training, but they do it here in Australia, if at all. And while

climbing up a hill like this might be tough - climbing up the ones on

the track can be an angle closer to this.

The sheer size of the climb is daunting enough. From the lowest point

to the highest is nearly 2000 metres up.

On top of that is the challenge of rough terrain and big creek

crossings.

Then there is the slippery mud and finally there is the weather.

NATHAN: Scorching temperatures team up with sweltering levels of

humidity in the jungles there to make it feel just like in a greenhouse.

You can understand why people have ended up exhausted and in

trouble.

For this reason, trekking companies that guide people through here

are looking at making climbers pass a fitness test before they can

come.

And the government here has already introduced new rules for the

companies to follow, to make sure there is enough first aid and help

around should things go wrong.

Because while this track has already claimed the lives of hundreds of

Aussies many years past, no one wants it to claim any more in the

future.

Presenter: An incredibly important trek, but one that shouldn’t be

underestimated.

Quiz 2

And let's take a closer look at the region in a quiz.

What is Papua New Guinea closest to?

1. Equator

2. Tropic of Capricorn

Answer: Equator

And that’s why it’s so steamy and hot there!

Dust Storms

Reporter: Alfie Tieu

INTRO: Another story that caused headlines while we were on

holidays was a huge dust storm that blanketed a large part of

Australia.

It was definitely no ordinary storm - it put people in hospital and

caused chaos in lots of places.

One of our Sydney journos, Alfie, was in the middle of it, so he

decided to find out why it happened.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Some people said they woke up feeling

like they were on Mars. They were in the middle of an eerie cloud of

dust that turned day into night. One of the first towns hit was Broken

Hill and an ABC reporter was in the middle of it.

EMMA SLEITH, ABC REPORTER BROKEN HILL: Oh my

gosh.Everything was bright orange, which normally happens in a dust

storm - we did get a call from one of our listeners who said that they

were in a blackout. Within two minutes we walked outside, a massive

cloud of black dust has rolled over the whole of Broken Hill and just

plunged us into absolute darkness.

The dust storm began just west of there in the red centre. As it moved

eastwards it grew, AND GREW! Eventually expanding to an

enormous cloud 400 kilometres wide, and 2 thousand kilometres

long!

Some of the dust even made it all the way to New Zealand.

Meteorologists say it was caused by a cold front of cool air. That

pushed the warm air forward. And because warm air rises, it lifted

the dust off the ground, and into the atmosphere.

It's estimated that it shifted more than five million tonnes of soil.

REPORTER: While it might have been scary, dust storms aren't all

that new in Australia, in fact they're pretty common. There's even a

special centre set up to study dust!

DustWatch studies how dust is spread around the country. They

found that the air pollution during Sydney's dust storm broke records,

reaching 15 hundred times the amount you'd expect on an ordinary

day.

Some people, such as young children, the elderly, and asthmatics,

were told to stay indoors, but hospitals were still swamped with

people suffering breathing problems.

Craig Strong, a researcher from DustWatch, says the dust is also

particularly bad for farmers, who have lost substantial amounts of

their precious topsoil.

CRAIG STRONG: We're removing a vast quantity of nutrients and

organic matter.

That means farmers who lost soil might need to add extra fertilizer to

their soils to grow good crops.

Big dust storms have hit capital cities before but that is unusual.

However in country areas they're pretty common and they've been a

part of Australia for a long time. Wind Erosion has even formed some

of our deserts.

Lots have farmers have even changed what they do to stop soil

blowing away. They might leave plants in the ground after they've

harvested to hold the dirt together - or cut stock numbers to let more

plants grow.

REPORTER: It's not just scientists studying dust - you can get

involved too!

School kids can become dust detectives.

They make notes on dust events by recording the visibility, wind

direction, speed, and dust type.

DustWatch will then use these valuable observations to strengthen

their own dust monitoring system and hopefully predict patterns for

the future!

So, next time you see dust in the air, take a moment to think about

where it came from. It may be a lot further away than you think!

Presenter: And if you want to find out more about DustWatch,

check out our website.

Amazing Race

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: How are you at finding your way around the city? Pretty

good?

Well imagine how you'd go if you couldn't see very well - or if you

were completely blind.

There are lots of people who do manage it every day, but it takes a

lot of practice and some pretty amazing skills.

Sarah's been hanging out with some kids to find out just how they

find their way around.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Here in the bustle of the big city two

teams are embarking on an amazing race. Navigating strange places

and following clues to get to their destination. But this is no reality TV

show. It's an exercise for kids who are blind or vision impaired and

it's teaching them how to make their way around a city. It's part of a

camp run by Guide Dogs SA and NT bringing kids together from all

over the place.

KAITLIN: I'm from Gove peninsula.

REPORTER: And where's Gove?

KAITLIN: It’s in the Northern Territory. We have an average of 30

degrees and here when I got off the plane it was like good evening

ladies and gentlemen here in Adelaide its 16 degrees.

REPORTER: And how did you feel about that?

KAITLIN: I thought I was going to freeze my bum off before the week

is out.

But it wasn't just the weather confronting kids like Kaitlin

REPORTER: The city can be a hard enough place to navigate for

anyone but imagine trying to do this without full use of your eyes. It

sounds daunting but these kids have got some pretty clever ways of

making their way around and some of them you might not have even

thought of

REPORTER: How are you trying to find direction there?

TORI: By the sun

The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. And at midday

it's exactly to the north, so by seeing it or feeling its heat they can get

their bearings. Finding landmarks is really important. The kids with

some sight can do it visually - others use their canes. And vision

impaired people get really good at using sounds to tell them what's

around; from the tap of a cane to the sound of a car.

REPORTER: Some of them can even get a sense of what's around

them by listening to the way sounds bounce off big objects. That's

called echo location. So while they still need their canes it meant Tori

and Lizzy could avoid obstacles like these ticket machines without

seeing them.

LIZZY: It’s like me and my backyard it’s got lots of space. Get clothes

off the washing line don't know how to get back in so you just walk

around (claps). I guess you just learn it without actually knowing

we're learning it. Like we're doing it subconsciously but all the time

we're learning.

At the end of the race there was a trip to the Botanic Gardens where

you don't need to be able to see to learn new things.

LIZZY: For me its touch and smell and just the feeling of being in a

natural environment

REPORTER: So it feels different does it?

LIZZY: Because when you go it city you know surrounding streets

there all the smell of diesel and cars and buses but here you've kind of

got that sense you're in a natural place

The camp was also about making friends

KAITLIN: I've never met anyone else with vision impairments before

except for rather weak vision impairment so it’s been good to meet

with other people. You have more in common you say things like

yeah, I ran into a wall today and they understand whereas other

people just shake their heads

They may face some different challenges to other kids but there's

nothing slowing these guys down. They're using all of their senses to

navigate their way through the world.

Presenter: An amazing insight there.

Quiz 3

One of the kids in Sarah's story used Braille to read some instructions.

That's the famous system used by blind people to read - they use their

fingers to feel dots which represent letters and numbers. It was

invented by Louis Braille, so we might do a quiz about him.

How old was Louis Braille when he designed the Braille system?

1. 21

2. 12

3. 31

Answer: 12

Presenter: Amazing isn't it! Louis Braille was actually blind himself

and a soldier gave a talk at his school about a code they used in the

army. So Louis then used that idea to make Braille.

Time for some sports news now - here's Kirsty.

The Score

After three years of Ford domination, Holden has returned to the

winner's podium at Bathurst.

It was described as one of the best races held on the Mt. Panorama

circuit as drivers tackled tricky weather conditions.

Garth Tander and Will Davison were first across the line and Holdens

filled nine of the top ten places.

*******

We told you a few weeks ago about Jessica Watson, the 16 year old

who wants to sail solo around the world.

She's now in Sydney making the finishing touches to her boat before

she sets sail.

But some people are worried Jessica isn't experienced enough to

make the trip, after her yacht collided with a boat last month.

*******

And Sam Willoughby has become the first Australian and the

youngest to win a BMX World Cup.

The Adelaide teenager had a rough start but pedalled his heart out to

clinch the title which was held in France.

But there'll be no celebrations just yet, he's heading to the United

States and won't be back in Australia until December

Presenter: A dominant performance from the young Aussie -

awesome work!

F1 Schools

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Formula 1 car racing is a multi-billion dollar sport. Teams

hunt for the most talented drivers, engineers and mechanics around,

in an effort to beat all comers on the track.

It certainly doesn't seem like the kind of sport kids could ever get

involved in, but that's where you'd be wrong!

There is a version of the sport that encourages school teams from

around the world to get involved, albeit on a miniature level.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Formula 1 is motorsport in the

extreme. It's all about having the most aerodynamic car imaginable,

dropping into it the lightest and most powerful motor, and pushing it

around a track faster than anyone else.

But if you take away the engines, the drivers and shrink it down about

a 20th of the size, you'd probably be left with something just like this -

Formula 1 in schools.

Missed that? Let's check it out again in slow-mo.

The aim of this competition is for kids to build model Formula 1 cars

they race down a straight 20m track at more than 80 k’s an hour.

Their times are recorded to the millisecond and the competition is

fierce.

So how much work goes into making these pint-sized rocket cars?

More than you would ever imagine!

They are made out of special high-tech plastics and ultra-light balsa

wood, and are designed on software used to shape jet planes.

They even occasionally borrow plane designs.

MARK, COLD FUSION TEAM MANAGER: Well to make it the best

innovative car we've got a backwards facing wing, and we took that

idea from a Russian fighter jet because they're using a backwards

facing wing to direct the air towards the middle of the plane, or in this

case the middle of the car, so it will pass through this part of the car,

and on through the rear diffusers to create control vortexes which give

the car lift, and make the car go faster down the track.

I have no idea what half of that means, but it sure sounds impressive!

The cars are all powered by tiny canisters of compressed carbon

dioxide gas, which is what you can see puffing out here.

The canister has a pin fired into it, which is why the cars explode from

the start line so quickly.

From there it only takes just over a second to cross the finish line.

Although from the way they stop, it's probably good they don't have

drivers inside.

Presenter: And Australia did really well at the World

Championships last month – we scored 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Well done to

the teams involved there!

Closer

And that brings us to the end of another show, catch you later!