Earthquake Natural Disaster and Catastrophes Management

Course 2012: Application deadline

2012-02-23T13:31:24Z

Natural Disaster Management 2012

Remember the deadline for applications 1. March.

For further information or some questions use the contact form:

www.earthquake.is/contact-us/contact-form

Or for online application:

http://www.earthquake.is/contact-us/apply-now

Applications are coming in

2012-02-17T13:12:02Z

Applications for participation in the international graduate course on Natural Disaster Management, to be held here in Iceland during 30 May to 22 June this spring, are starting to roll in.

We would like to remind potential applications to submit an application as soon as possible, and before the deadline of 1 March.

Also, do not forget to send the additional and required application documents see www.earthquake.is/admissions/application-form

Applicants will be notified of their submission, and informed on acceptance before 15 March 2012

Summer course 2012: Natural Disaster Management

2011-12-05T11:58:52Z

We are happy to announce the new international graduate summer course “Natural Disaster Management” that will be held 30 May to 22 June 2012 at the Earthquake Engineering Research Centre of the University of Iceland.

The course follows the success of the last course which was held in June 2011. It was attended by people from Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and the United States. The participants, who were of diverse backgrounds such as engineering, sociology, geology, environmental management, environmental sciences, geophysics, etc., consisted mostly of masters and doctoral students that all came together and studied natural distaster management with us here in Iceland.

The course of spring 2012 will again address all phases of the disaster cycle, examine local, national, and international aspects and discusse the many disciplines needed in disaster management projects. Such projects require representatives with diverse backgrounds, both academic and practical, and thus the philosophy behind this course is that all disciplines should have a common base on which to communicate, enabling them to effectively include different perspectives into disaster management projects. To mirror a multidisciplinary world this course therefore seeks students with different backgrounds. Additionally, the course offers specialized projects for students interested in relating disaster management to the field of earthquake engineering.

We encourage you to browse our website and gather more information on the course, the EERC and the University Centres of South Iceland, and of course Iceland itself.

We note that the application deadline is 1 March 2012.

Application status for course in spring 2011

2011-03-16T13:48:24Z

We have received a lot of qualified applications for the Natural Catastrophes Summer Course from many countries, like Canada, Denmark, France, Netherland and USA.

The payment link to pay the course fee is now active, and the deadline for paying the fee is April 5 2011.

Every participant should have received email with some practical things to attend to.

The Earthquake Engineering Research Centre and The University Centre of South Iceland staff is very happy about all the applications and are really looking forward to meeting the students in Iceland in May.

Mw 6.3 Christchurch Earthquake

2011-02-23T11:09:27Z

Scientists at the EERC are currently processing strong-motion (SM) data from the Mw 6.3 earthquake on February 21 2011 at 23:51 GMT the epicentre of which was located about 10 km south-east of Christchurch City Centre in the South Island of New Zealand. The SM data obtained from the GeoNet website http://www.geonet.org.nz is being analyzed by Dr. Rajesh Rupakhety by using new methodologies and computer programs developed at the EERC.

Dr. Rupakhety has mapped the variation of PGA in the epicentral region (Figure 1: Map1) which indicates large peak ground accelerations (PGA), with a maximum vertical acceleration of 1.9g (g being acceleration of gravity) at the Pages Road Pumping Station in Christchurch (Figure 2: acc).

Preliminary results indicate strong evidence of ground motion amplification due to local soil conditions in the Christchurch area. Severe long-period pulses and significant permanent ground displacements, characteristic of near-fault earthquake ground motion, are observed at several stations near the epicentre.

A detailed investigation of the recorded and processed earthquake motion (co-seismic ground displacement, localized amplification of ground motion, characteristics of long-duration velocity pulses, etc.), and the corresponding structural response to the earthquake action is underway.

Ruaumoko

2011-02-23T09:12:43Z

In Maori mythology, Ruaumoko (also known as Ruamoko) is the youngest son of Rangi and Papa, god of volcanoes and seasons. He has never been born and remains inside his mother's womb. His movements are considered the cause of earthquakes. These earthquakes in turn are responsible for the change of seasons. Depending on the time of year, the earthquakes cause the warmth, or cold, of Mother Earth to come to the surface of the land, resulting in the warming, or cooling of the Earth.[1]

[1] Reference: Best, Elsdon. 1907. Maori Forest Lore: being some

Account of Native Forest Lore and Woodcraft, as also of many Myths, Rites, Customs, and Superstitions connected with the Flora and Fauna of theTuhoe or Ure-wera District.—Part I. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. Vol. 20, Art. XV, pp. 185-254.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruaumoko

Dr Athol J Carr is a visiting professor at the EERC.

2011-02-22T21:04:36Z

He has been Professor in the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering at the University of Canterbury for almost three decades. His main field of research is Earthquake Engineering. Currently his research focuses on the effects of the Darfield Earthquake along with its aftershocks. Dr. Carr holds the position of Adjunct Professor at University of Iceland. He has given many graduate courses at EERC and visited Iceland numerous times. http://www.eerc.hi.is/en/staff

Course 2011: Application deadline 21 February

2011-02-18T13:49:43Z

We are very pleased receiving applications from many countries like France, China, Denmark, Canada and USA.

Remember the deadline for applications next Monday. For further information or some questions use the contact form www.earthquake.is/contact-us/contact-form

Or for online application : http://www.earthquake.is/contact-us/apply-now

Classroom-on-wheels

2011-02-18T09:15:31Z

The field-trips are “classroom-on-wheels”. They provide an opportunity for the participants to see natural phenomena while learning about them. Participants will be assigned tasks in order to prepare for the different trips to make the most out of the learning experience.

When planning a field –trips the following will be taken into consideration:

• Landscaping, major historical and recent natural processes – reading the landscape

• Historical overview – why do people live at this location? (söguslóðir)

• The population today: How should the people that live here now live with the threats in their environment?

o Are they in harm’s way?

o Can the risk be reduced?

o How should they prepare?

There course will cover seven natural processes:

1. Earthquakes

2. Tsunamis

3. Volcanoes

4. Flooding

5. Severe weather, including hurricanes and extratropical cycles

6. Coastal Hazards

7. Climate and Climate Change

Course book has been published!

2011-02-15T08:53:52Z

The course book for the international graduate course on Natural Catastrophes to be held this spring (2011) has been published.

It prominently features on the cover a photo of the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano, South Iceland, last spring of 2010. Note that participation in the course will include field trips to the volcano, among other sites of special natural interest regarding the course.

It also discusses in detail the eruption at Heimaey island of 1973, which took place only a few hundred meters away from the main town of the island. The Heimaey island is just off the coast of South Iceland and can easily be seen from the location where the course is to be held, and also easily accessible by ferry.

The book is written by Edward A. Keller, Duane E. DeVecchio & Robert H. Blodgett: Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2011.

You can find the book for example, at online retailers (e.g., Amazon.com).