Curbing the Wrath of a Tropical Storm
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MONASH REPORTER AMAGAZINE FOR THE UNIVERSITY Registered by Australia Post - publication No. VBG0435 NUMBER 2·86 APRIL 4, 1986 Curbing the wrath of a tropical storm About 40 per cent of Australia's export earnings come from a huge but lillie-studied part of the country, the tropics, which is subject to dry spells, severe storms and long periods of heavy rain. The most important tropical indus Gulf of Carpentaria from late Septem tries - mining, off-shore oil and gas, ber to Decem ber. fishing, agriculture and tourism - are The Monash research group have put highly weather-dependent. up the idea that it is caused when While the threat of cyclones is ever easterly on-shore winds blowing off the present, sudden storms or extreme wet Pacific Ocean at the base of Cape York seasons can also cause significant Peninsula develop a front which in the economic and social disruption. early morning collides almost head-on So the Bureau of Meteorology with a corresponding front developed by Research Centre has organised the Aus the westerly on-shore breezes as they tralian Monsoon Experiment, the most move inland from the Gulf. extensive study of Australian tropical What would then occur is similar to' weather ever mounted. two waves meeting at the seaside travel And slaff and postgraduate students ling in opposite directions. Where they rrom the Applied Section or the Monash meet. water is pushed up and settles • A male ii Mathematics department are playing a back either side or the join. Cold air Monash University'S growth and development - how sculptor, Matcham Skipper, of Montsalvat, saw the image of the University's first 25 years. He describes the medallion he very significant role in it. would be lifted up in a like manner to The study will be conducted in two has designed for presentation to staff who have reached the 25-year mark (see page 2) as form the Morning Glory disturbance, an "upward moving, growing form". He says: "It's in planes. soft textures, not a gee; phases. the first running for 15 days in the team argues. metrical, digital thing_" Cast in bronze and mounted as shown, it will be "soft, subtle and October-November at the end of the dry inoffensive" among antiques or in modern houses. Mr Skipper also designed the University season and the second for 30 days in the • Continued P.6 Mace. Photo - Julie Fraser. wet season months of January and February next year. It will involve a permanent upgrading of the meteorological observation net work in northern Australia and will bring together data collecled by that network and at specially established weather stations on land with informa tion collected by satellite, the Australian Institute of Marine Research oceano graphic vessel, and sophisticated research aircraft from the CSIRO. the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Flinders University. The experiment has been designed to find out as much as possible about the phenomenon, known as the North Aus tralian Cloud Line. and its effect. and also about the relationship between tropical storms and the wet season atmospheric circulation. It is hoped to use this information to construct moce accurate computer models to support forecasters. And that is where Monash comes in. For the better part of a decade. research ers in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, working under the leader ship of Dr Roger Smith in collaboration with Dr Reg Clarke at Melbourne University. have been studying the Morning Glory. a spectacular cloud • A LlTILE BIT OF THE REAL AUSTRALIA? Whi~ visitors from India and China demonstrated their national musK: and dance on formation which forms in the early campus last month (see back page), the Gondwanaland band from Sydney was giving an all·AustraJian performance - with an electronic morning in the southeast corner of the didgerktoo. The band gave a lunchtime concert in the Forum during first week of term. Photo - Richard Crompton. Scientists should work from 'moral' base A univenn;:'trained scientist should ~ave a deep love of nature and a per- formed us about our world and what it fessor Birt said. sonal, moral commitment to establishIng and b~lng the. truth, the Vice- meant to live in it as human beings. "Sadly, this means that scientists as a Chao£.ellor of the University of NSW, Professor Michael Blrt, told Monash " But in science the ultimate point of group find it difficult to contribute ef graduates_ reference (that is, the world as a world fectively to such debates, even when IIThetraining of a scientist can - and mind to embrace that change; and a of objects) is different to tliat in the they are about scientific issues. should - offer more than might be call- regular. but not exclusive, reliance on humanities (that is, the perceptions of HOur training makes us hesitant to af ed mere technical proficiency. logical argument to reach conclusions," exceptionally gifted individuals respond- firm that propositions arc absolutely U Attitudes of mind and mental habits he said in his occasional address at the ing to the human experience of living in certain, or that a simple and direct which are useful in other spheres of recent Science graduation in Robert the world)." description, without qualifications, can human knowledge can also be acquired. Blackwood Hall. An adequate education would ensure be giyen of many issues. "A scientific education should enable "Just as scholars in the humanities we were introduced to both these areas "I can only urge those of you who do us to know when propositions can be ac- draw material from the creations of ar- at an early stage, he said. possess the personal talents for coping cepted because they are based on sound, tists, academic scientists draw on the tested and sufficient evidence; a recogni- work of great creative scientists in their tion that established new facts may alter exposition of their disciplines. quite dramatically a general perception Science and the humanities were Duty to develop social values of what is correct and the nexibility of complementary areas which together in- HI suggest that graduate scientists with the artificiality of what passes for have a particular responsibility to public discussion to make use of them develop and make use of intellectual and wherever you can, in the interests of Duke to awa.rd moral values in our modern world. making better use of science and scien ult is not easy to do so. for the atti tific method in our society, and of arriv tudes adopted in public discussion often ins. at more intelligent and effective 25 yea.r llledals seem to be inimical to careful analysis of ways of exploring the problems that face Dr Jack McDonell events and issues. us." Unlversily records show Ibal some 40 (Conlinuing Education) UThere is a marked over-emphasis on It was particularly important for slaff members (IncludIng a few rece.1 M B·II M t h personal on visual "'~" rl acan science graduates to work at developing relirees) have comp ledet ~ years ser- (Chemistr) a straightforward, clear English Slyle, vlee ..lib tbe Ualversity and ",HI be ellg- Professor YNoel Murray avoiding technical jargon wherever Ible 10 receive the spedal Malcham (Civil Engineering) possible. Sklpper-deslgned. Jubilee medals. Mrs Rosemary Nathanielsz The medals will be presented by the (L.brary) "If we remain aware of the need to Duke of Edinburgh at the Jubilee in· Ernest Nunn express ideas clearly and simply, we can 0: always help ourselves," Professor Dirt augurauon ceremony In Robert Black- (Chemistry) said. wood Hall on May 19. Mr Ken Nuske The followmg IS a hst of known (Physics) "That self·help will certainly demand 25-year veterans, but it is acknowledged Professor Bill Rachinger that we read and emulate those scientists that some might not be. shown on the (Physics) who are masters of exposition, and, of record~,. and anyone With a claim to Mr Ken Rule course, the writers and scholars in the recogmllon should contact the Deputy (Maintenance) great traditions of the humanities and Regis\rar, Mr Jim Leicester (ext. 2013) Professor Graeme Schofield English literature." as soon as posstble. (Medicine) Since 1963, the University of NSW Mr David Anderson Dr Jack Smith had been running a program of General (Chemistry) . (Physics) Studies, which had been revised exten Professor Leshe Bodl Mr Adrian van den Bergen sively over the past three years. (German) . (Chemistry) "The University is now committed to Professor David Bradley Dr Ian Ward requiring all its undergraduate students, (English) (Economics) whatever their faculty of specialisation, Professor Ron Brown Mr Norm Watt presentation of 'evidence', and on the to undertake a course of liberal studies. (Chemistry) (Finance) formulation of simple unambiguous embracing an appreciation of our Mr JIm Butchart Professor Kevin West fold propositions - few people take the general intellectual tradition and the (Registrar) (Vice-Chancellor's) trouble to weigh the significance of ex development of skills of rational Dr Denis Coates Mr Bruce Young emptions, or caveats, or uncertainties, thought, critical analysis and expres (Physics) (Materials Engineering) in what passes for public debate." Pro sion." he said. The ethics of testing for AIDS ~~;~~?lC£~~d~~ing)(HIStory) Mrs Joan Dawson What polk:1es should be adopted Maries, Commissioner for Equal book, Should the baby Bv.? during a (Registrar's) towards IHllna for AIDS, and what Opportunity. free public lec:ture OR Wednesday, April Miss Edith Downes does a posltlve result mean for Ihe The conference will be held at Clunies 16. (Econometrics) pallent? Ross House, from 9.25 am until 5 pm on The lecture is the second in the 1986 Dr Tim Ealey These questions and many others will Monday, April 7.