On April 11, the research project of lightning disaster prevention for Potala Palace was initiated. This project was led by Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS) whose task was to develop and promote the thunder storm and lightning observing system, establish monitoring platform, study the lightning activities and discharge characteristics around Potala Palace, investigate its structure features, evaluate the lightning disaster risk and preventive methods and build relevant warning platform. Meanwhile, the regional standard and research on the lightning prevention for Tibetan ancient buildings would also be pushed forward.
It was reported that this project was a significant measure of implementing the cooperation between China Meteorological Administration and the Government of Tibetan Autonomous Region. CAMS has paid attention to the lightning prevention research in a long term and has carefully organized relevant units to fulfill the research and construction tasks which made great contributions to China's cultural relic.
It was introduced by vice Director-General of Tibet meteorological bureau that the bureau would coordinate with CAMS in the lightning observing station and network construction, observing data collection and warning system construction in Potala Palace so as to ensure the implementation of this project.
The Potala Palace is in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. The building measures 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes. Thirteen stories of buildings – containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues – soar 117 meters (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor.
Editor Kong Yan