Rapid assessment of community needs and fisheries status in tsunami-affected communities in Aceh Province,Indonesia

This paper describes the application of the methodology called Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management System (RAFMS) to assess quickly the situation in tsunami-affected coastal fisheries in Aceh Province, Indonesia. As a diagnostic tool, the RAFMS is introduced in terms of its conceptual framework and procedures. The RAFMS was used to appraise the status of the fisheries sector in selected 15 villages. Information generated concerning level of fishing effort, marketing patterns and community perspectives on livelihood options are used as three illustrative examples. The paper also provides some insights in applying the RAFMS methodology in the context of disasters and in the broader context of tropical fisheries management.     

Age determination of paleotsunami sediments around Lombok Island,Indonesia, and identification of their possible tsunamigenic earthquakes

Age determination of paleotsunami sediment from Lombok Island, Indonesia, and surrounding area has been carried out using the 210 Pb method in BATAN Jakarta. The basic theory of this method assumes that weathering of sediments, including paleotsunami sediments, will result in 210 Pb enrichment. The principle of this method is to calculate 210 Pb contents accumulation in a particular sedimentation interval from the surface to the deeper buried sediments. The results are then converted into age or depositional time in years ago unit. The dating results from the paleotsunami sediments of the Gawah Pudak(S8°46’2.91’’, E115°56’34.23’’) and Gili Trawangan areas(S8°21’1.38’’, E116°2’36.6’’) indicate the Gawah Pudak sediments were deposited 37 years ago(c. in 1977)and 22 years ago(c. in 1992). Three paleotsunami sediments from Gili Trawangan were deposited 149 years ago(c. in 1865), 117 years ago(c. in 1897) and 42 years ago(c. in 1972). These results are then compared to the available Indonesian earthquake catalogue data. This study reveals that paleotsunami sediments around Lombok Islands, from older to younger, were caused by the 1857 earthquake(epicentre in Bali Sea; M7; S8°00’09.45’’,E115°29’56.41’’), 1897 earthquake(epicentre in Flores Sea;M5.5; S6°47’59.62’’, E120°48’03.5’’ or Sulu Sea earthquake; M8.5; 70 km NW of Basilan Island), the 1975 earthquake(Nusa Tenggara; S10°6’16.61’’, E123°48’09.39’’), 1977 earthquake(in Waingapu, Sumba; M8.0;S11°5’39.34’’, E118°27’50.86’’) and the 1992 earthquake(Flores; M7.8; S8°28’52.11’’, E121°53’44.3’’).     

What is driving the ITF? An illumination of the Indonesian throughflow with a numerical nested model system

A nested numerical model system has been set up to realistically simulate more than 30 years of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF). A global circulation model delivered the boundary values for sea level, temperature and salinity distributions to a local model covering the region of the ITF. Both models were forced with NCEP data. Results of the regional model are in good agreement with measured data regarding velocity distribution and stratification, as well as transported water masses. Model results show a highly variable and very complex current system. The presence of a realistic throughflow has been simulated even with a barotropic pressure gradient directed from the Indian towards the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, model experiences indicate that the intensity of the ITF is correlated with the seasonal wind system. It is concluded that the ITF is neither driven by a barotropic or baroclinic pressure gradient nor by local winds. The ITF seems to be, rather, the extension of the very strong tropical Pacific Ocean circulation system westward into the Indonesian seas, where the western boundary is not fully closed due to the passages between the Indonesian islands. A hypothesis for the physical reason is given to explain the existence of the Indonesian throughflow.     

A Preliminary Study on Skarn-Related Calc-silicate Rocks Associated with the Batu Hijau Porphyry Copper-Gold Deposit, Sumbawa Island, Indonesia

Batu Hijau is a world-class gold-rich porphyry copper deposit, situated in Sumbawa Island, Indonesia. Deep drilling indicates that several intervals of calc-silicate rock were intersected, where they are apparently interbedded with volcaniclastic rocks. The calc-silicate rocks occur at the contact with copper-gold-bearing tonalite porphyries. The rocks are fine-grained and granular with green, reddish-brown and white layers. The green layers consist mostly of fine-grained clinopyroxene (diopside and hedenbergite) and the reddish-brown layers consist mostly of garnet (andradite), whereas the white layers are commonly composed of calcite and zeolite (chabazite). The calc-silicate rocks were formed by contact metasomatism of andesitic volcaniclastic rocks, as it is calcic in composition. Paragenesis study reveals at least two stages of calc-silicate mineralization. Stage 1 (prograde) is characterized by the presence of garnet (andradite), clinopyroxene (diopside and hedenbergite), anorthite and quartz at 340–360 C (high salinity 35–45 NaCl wt percentage eqn.). Stage 2 (retrograde) is characterized by chlorite and rare epidote at 280–300 C (low salinity 1–10 NaCl wt% eqn.). Late calcite ± quartz veinlets and calcite + chabazite veins/veinlets may also be related to this stage and cross cut the oldest mineral assemblages. Mineralization (magnetite, chalcopyrite and pyrite) may occur during the retrograde stage. Clinopyroxene and garnet were modified by Fe-rich hydrothermal fluid (oxidizing condition) indicated by increase of Fe from core to rim of both the cogenetic minerals. The presence of the calc-silicate rocks associated with massive magnetite-chalcopyrite-pyrite assemblage indicates the occurrence of calcic-exoskarn surrounding the Batu Hijau porphyry copper-gold deposit.