Bay Of Bengel

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction 2 Geography 2 Surrounding Countries 3 Tropical Storms and Cyclones 3 Statement of Aim 4

Severe Historical Storms 4 Bhola 5 Nargis 5 Giri 6 Discussion 6 Bhola 6 Nargis 7 Giri 7

Global Warming Relevance 8

Discussion 9

Conclusion 10

References 12

Illustrations Frontispiece - Strong storm winds in the Bay of Bengal Cyclone "Nargis" of May 2-3, 2008 in Myamnar (Burma) - http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Cyclone2008Burma.html Figure 1 -The Bay of Bengal 2 Figure 2 - A port in the Bay of Bengal 3 Figure 3 - Cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal 4 Figure 4 - Vulnerability of Myanmar 5 Figure 5 -A movie poster for the Bhola benefit concert 6 Figure 6 -Myanmar junta bringing in food and medical supplies 7 Figure 7 - Severe drought 9 Figure 8 - Severe flooding 9

Introduction Geography The Bay of Bengal is the world's largest bay, located in the north-eastern Indian Ocean (Fig. 1). It is bordered by Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Malaysia and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands1, 2. The Bay of Bengal is a salt water sea with high turbulence. Frequent thunderstorms are created by huge cumulonimbus clouds and the Indian monsoons are more powerful than in other areas3. The bay sees some of the world's largest cyclones with huge storm surges along the low lying areas bordering the bay4. The Bay of Bengal has a surface area of 14.7 km2 with a maximum depth of 2600 m2. The average surface temperature is 28°C, varying between 25-35°C yearly. Rivers run into the Bay of Bengal from India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna flow from the north, Mahandi, Godavari, Krishia, Cauvery and Indian rivers flow from the west with Irrawaddy River from the east2. The Ganges River and Mahandi River both form deltas into the bay1. The Bay of Bengal has high importance to the surrounding communities, providing an economy for coastal people in terms of fishing, sailing and travelers (Fig. 2)2 plus highly fertile agricultural soils creating a high population density5. Surrounding Countries Eastern India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, borders the Bay of Bengal. There are low lying mangroves, and the swamps of Sunderbands, Garo Hills of Meghalaia with its wide make it the wettest place on Earth6. West Bengal holds a population of 80.18 million people7. Bangladesh has large rivers from the Himalayas which flow into deltas into the Bay of Bengal. In the coastal region, the topography is less than 150 m above sea level; the majority of the area a mere 1-2 m above sea level8. Bangladesh has a population of 164.4 million people9. Myanmar's west coast contacts the Bay of Bengal10 with a population of 41.73 million people11. Tropical Storms and Cyclones Tropical storms and cyclones are caused on warm water seas12. As warm air rises, a low pressure system initiates instability, forming inward revolving winds in a counter-clockwise direction for the northern hemisphere (Fig. 3). The Coriolis effect causes a spiral to form, rotating the storm faster12. The storms in the Bay of Bengal have been occurring for thousands of years and have influenced the landscape, population and political structure. Storms keep the land fertile by washing away remnants of the previous year's crops and keep them well watered. Being a target of cyclonic storm, the coastal areas required solid infrastructure and safe houses to protect vulnerable populations during severe storms. Statement of Aim This paper is meant to form an understanding on the Bay of Bengal and storms which form in this region. It will focus on the formation, death tolls and after effects of the Bhola, Nargis, and Giri storms. Future threats of global warming will also be discussed. Severe Historical Storms Bhola, Nargis and Giri all occurred in the Bay of Bengal and caused a lot of damage, but the statistics and circumstances surrounding each storm are unique. The Bhola cyclone is ranked number one in all of Earth's historic storms, occurring in 1970 in Bangladesh with a death toll of 500 000 people13. The Nargis cyclone occurred in 2008 in Myanmar with a death toll of 140 000 people, ranking the ninth most disastrous storm in history13. The Giri tropical storm is not listed in the ranking of the deadliest storms, as it only had a death toll of a few hundred people14. Nonetheless, this storm of 2010 in Myanmar must not be mistaken as a quiet storm as it was a strong as Bhola and Nargis. Bhola Ranked as the deadliest storm, Bhola hit Bangladesh on 12 November, 1970. It was a category 3 cyclone by the time it made landfall with peak winds reaching 185 km/h15. Its arrival at high tide caused intense damage, increasing the force of the storm. The waves, as high as 4 m with an approximate storm surge of 1.2 m15, destroyed villages, crops, and offshore islands. The combination of low lying areas in the Ganges delta and its high population due to the fertility of the soil are responsible for the high death toll5. On 5 November, the remnants of Tropical Storm Nora from the South China Sea formed into Bhola over the Bay of Bengal on 8 November heading north, reaching peak winds by 12 November. It hit landfall on the east coast Bangladesh, then headed toward south-southeast Agartala to southern Assam15. Nargis Hitting Myanmar on 2 May, 2008, Nargis developed in the Bay of Bengal on 27 April heading northwest. As it gained speed and strength, by 29 April the storm began to weaken. Changing course to the east, the storm rapidly intensified and by 2 May reached peak winds of 165-215 km/h (Fig. 4), turning into a Category 4 cyclone. Nargis hit land on Myanmar in the Ayeyarwady District then began to weaken when it headed through Yangon toward Thailand17. The storm surge was 4 m in height18 with 8 m tall waves as it struck the Irrawaddy delta, causing thousands of deaths19. Giri Giri formed in the Bay of Bengal on 22 October 201014. It began as a weak depression 250 km south of Myanmar. It hit peak winds at 165 km/h 50 km north-west of Kyaukpyu14, forming to a Category 4 cyclone20. The storm strengthened from a Category 1 to 4 cyclone within a mere 12 hours. Discussion Bhola At the time of the Bhola storm, Bangledesh was still part of East Pakistan, in an unstable political position. East Pakistan was unhappy with the effort of the government to provide support and relief to those affected by the storm. The devastation lead to a newly elected political party and is the first known time in history that an environmental devastation lead to a resistance movement. The result of this movement helped to create Bangladesh15. East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was aware of the geographic danger of living in a low lying area close to a turbulent sea. Efforts were made to prepare a relief response team but it became clear after Bhola that these trainees were not able to perform an adequate job compared to the amount of damage which Bhola created. As such, plans were made to better prepare for future storms, creating action plans for these critical situations15. Bhola was the beginning of a new trend of benefit concerts. After many countries' efforts to assist in clean-up and aid, George Harrison, a former member for the Beatles, produced a benefit concert to raise money for relief funds (Fig. 5)15. Nargis Myanmar had an issue with international relief support after the Nargis storm. Countries world-wide stepped up to help Myanmar get back on their feet. Yet, the Myanmaran government was resistant to accept support and finally settled on strict government to government support. Unfortunately, this necessitated officials to obtain a visa to enter the country before negotiations could begin. Obtaining these visas was a long process and many of the applications were getting denied17. Those who tried to take action by bringing supplies directly were stopped by the junta and not allowed into the country. As more protest arose, the junta relinquished, opening the door to limited relief (Fig. 6)17. By 9 May, a week after Nargis, the UN urged Myanmar to accept international aid without delay. Despite the continued efforts of international governments and the UN, controversies continued well into June. Furthermore, as conflict arose over its acceptance, the Myanmar military was trading aid with its citizens for physical labour17. Giri Both Nargis and Giri hit in Myanmar with similar wind speeds and cyclonic strength, but there was a large difference in their death tolls. While Nargis was over 100 000 people, Giri killed only hundreds. The main difference for these death tolls is the area in which these storms hit landfall. Nargis hit Myanmar at the Irrawaddy delta, around a low lying coastal area with tidal channels and close to Myanmar's capital, Yangon19. On the other hand, Giri hit further north on higher ground so there was a much smaller storm surge. Most of the damage by Giri was caused by the high winds and rainfall floods. Additionally, the cyclone was relatively small but strengthened faster than expected and as such, there was a lack of preparedness in Myanmar before Giri made landfall19. Global Warming Relevance With the scare of global warming occurring more frequently in the media, there has been indications that global warming is leading to an increase in both frequency and intensity of cyclonic storms. Studies conducted on the Indian Ocean as a consequence of the Little Ice Age in Europe measured storms which have occurred in the period of 1877 to 1998. Within this period, there has been evidence that the frequency of storms have decreased23. Reports of increased property damage and loss of life can be accounted for by the increase in population and populated danger zones as opposed to the increase in storm frequency or intensity. In fact 2001-2002 shows the quietest period for cyclones in the Indian Ocean in the past 36 years of studies23. The Himalayan glacial rivers which flow into the Bay of Bengal have seen an increase of 4 degrees in temperature causing the Thulagi glacier to melt at a faster rate than in the past, doubling the size of the lake. There is currently a blockage by ice which is preventing this increase in water to flow into the Bay of Bengal. However, if this dam were to break, billions of gallons of water would cause flooding and a rise in sea levels24. This rise in temperature in the Himalayans means that no snow is forming on the mountains. As a consequence, there are more mosquitoes moving up the mountains, followed by disease. Without the melt of these snows, less water is available to water the crops in the area. This evidence has shown that global warming is causing drought in some areas (Fig. 7) with the threat of intense flooding in others (Fig. 8)24. Excess flooding will inundate coastal lands with sand causing a loss of crop and habitable lands. This rise in sea level may also cause more severe storms in the area24. There is debatable data as to whether global warming causes an increase in storms. Some scientists see a correlation in the increase in sea surface temperature to cyclone storms. Other scientists say there is no such evidence and hurricanes are created by the atmospheric profile, independent of water temperature with evidence that can form over cooler water23. In fact, although there has been a recent increase in the number of hurricanes in the North Atlantic basin, this similar trend is not true for other tropical storm-producing areas. Discussion There have been many intense storms in the Bay of Bengal which have caused a high loss of life, as expressed in data from the Bhola and Nargis storms. The death toll has begun to decrease since these intense storms. The more obvious contributors to the impact of these storms is due to the high vulnerability of Bangladesh due to the funnel shaped bay leading to Bangladesh and the delta plains which are less than 10 m above sea level27. In addition, the weak infrastructure caused a lot of property damage. The preparedness has improved with governments moving populations in hazardous areas into cyclone shelters. As evacuation occurs at earlier stages, the death toll has decreased. However, the difference of death tolls in Myanmar compared to Bangladesh is caused by governance27. As Bangladesh has had less stable governance, less emphasis is given toward preparedness and organization of intense tropical and cyclonic storms. It is clear that global warming has caused an increase in sea surface temperatures, however, there has been no solid evidence that this correlates to the formation of cyclonic storms. Atmospheric factors seem to be the driving force of such storms28. There are many factors which cause cyclonic storms and so the formation cannot solely be placed on water temperature. Conclusion By focusing on the Bhola, Nargis and Giri cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal, it has been proven that this is one of the world's more intense and vulnerable areas for storms. This is due to the topography of the shape of the bay and low lying areas, as well as due to the fertile land which draws in a high population to exploit the area for farming. Political parties and governance has affected and been affected by the storms. After Bhola, Bangladesh was able to separate from East Pakistan and the Myanmar government proved difficult when international countries wanted to provide aid for those affected by Nargis. Global warming has been blamed for the increase in frequency and intensity of storms in the area. There has been debate as to whether global warming, causing an increase in water temperature, will cause an increase in storms, but data does not support this clause. Storms seem to form based on atmospheric conditions rather than water temperature. As such, global warming should not be a concern on affecting weather patterns. References 1. Bay of Bengal (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal

2. Bay of Bengal - http://world-geography.org/72-bay-of-bengal.html

3. World's Worst Areas of Turbulence - http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-153942.html

4. Digital Typhoons: Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal - http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/world/bob/index.html.en

5. 5 Most Destructive Storms - http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/most-destructive-storms5.htm

6. Topography of India - http://www.maps-india.com/overview/topographyofindia.htm

7. West Bengal - http://www.mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/State%20Files/wb.htm

8. Bangladesh - Topography - http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Bangladesh-TOPOGRAPHY.html

9. Bangladesh (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh

10. Myanmar - The Golden Land - http://www.myanmar-yellowpages.com/aboutus_myanmar.htm

11. Burma (Myanmar) - http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Burma-Myanmar.html

12. Cyclones - http://library.thinkquest.org/10136/cyclones/cycltq.htm

13. Deadliest Tropical Cyclones in History - http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/deadlyworld.asp

14. Cyclone Giri (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Giri

15. 1970 Bhola Cyclone - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Bhola_cyclone

16. Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog - http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/archive.html?year=2008&month=05

17. The Staggering Cyclone Nargis Catastrophe - http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/05/the-staggering-cyclone-nargis-catastrophe/

18. Monster Tropical Cyclone Giri on Bay of Bengal - http://www.meteo.ae/blog/2010/10/21/a-look-at-the-tropics/

19. Global Warming: Catastrophe from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal - http://revcom.us/a/187/himalayas-en.html

20. Cyclone Giri Explodes, Socks Burma Shore - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/10/cyclone_explodes_before_sockin.html

21. The Concert for Bangladesh (Wikipedia) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Concert_for_Bangladesh

22. Pacific Disaster Centre - http://www.pdc.org/PDCNewsWebArticles/2008/Nargis/nargis.htm

23. Global Warming Hurricanes - http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/globalwarminghurricanes.html

24. Huricanes (Indian Ocean) - Summary - http://www.co2science.org/subject/h/summaries/hurricaneindian.php

25. China Declares Emergency Over Drought - http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93521

26. Bangladesh - Most Dense Population on Earth - http://www.aarons-staff.org/Places/Bangladesh.aspx

27. Shelter from the Storm - http://www.himalmag.com/component/content/article/4290-shelter-from-the-storm.html

28. Ocean Warming, Bay of Bengal Cyclones - http://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/02/03/stories/2011020350091300.htm