China and Nigeria have announced plans to collaborate on the construction of a groundbreaking baseline Interferometry system aimed at monitoring earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The partnership was unveiled in a flash news report by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Friday, although specific details of the project remain scarce.
Currently, representatives from China and Nigeria are gathered in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, engaged in a meeting to further discuss the collaboration.
Baseline interferometry, a technique commonly utilized in radio astronomy, involves the collection of signals from astronomical radio sources, such as quasars, using multiple radio telescopes on Earth or in space.
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By analyzing the time differences between the arrival of these signals at various telescopes, the distance between them can be calculated.
Initially developed for applications in radio astronomy, baseline interferometry has expanded its scope to measure various phenomena.
It enables the examination of minute surface variations in microscopic organisms, the study of vast gas and dust formations in the remote regions of the Universe through radio interferometry, and even the detection of gravitational waves.
The implementation of a baseline Interferometry system in Nigeria marks a significant advancement in earthquake and volcanic activity monitoring in the region.
This collaborative effort between China and Nigeria holds great promise for enhancing scientific understanding and facilitating early warning systems to mitigate potential natural disasters in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
