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VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will be hit by between 20-25 magnetic storms with an intensity of 150-200nT (nano-teslsa), a unit of magnetic density, in 2011, say the Institute of Geophysics, part of Vietnam’s Academy of Science and Technology.
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| Photo: Vietnam+ |
According to Ha Duyen Chau, a senior researcher at the Institute, the earth was hit by a magnetic storm with an intensity of about 60 nT earlier this year.
"It is difficult to predict exactly when a
magnetic storm will occur,” said the researcher.
Vietnam first started to study magnetic storms in 1957 but monitoring stations were not installed until after the 500KV national grid began operating in 1998.
Magnetic or geomagnetic storms are caused by changes to the earth’s magnetic field, usually associated with charged particles generated from solar flares and sunspots.
On average they last from between 24 and 48 hours, but some are known to have lasted for many days.
* Waste treatment plant under construction in city
Huynh Minh Nhut, director of the Urban Environment One Member State-Owned Limited Company, will officially inaugurate a plant to treat dangerous waste materials on March 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The plant with present capacity to treat 21 tons of waste per day is already operational on an experimental basis. After its official opening on March 1, the company will collect hazardous waste from enterprises in and around the city.
It is estimated that even if this plant becomes operational, the city would still need more such factories as the city produces an average of 600 toxic wastes a day and the present capacity of the plants can only treat around 30 tons per day.
The city Department of Natural Resources and Environment has appealed for more social contribution and participation in treating toxic waste. Three enterprises responded to the appeal in 2010 but the city has been lax in providing these enterprises with vacant land for the construction of waste treatment plants.
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