Association of Pacific Rim Universities
2008 APRU Research Symposium on Multi-Hazards Around the Pacific Rim
Organized by the California Institute for Hazard Research
August 21-24, 2008
University of California, Davis
Home Page Information: General Conference Information
The University of California is proud to host the APRU’s 4th Research Symposium on Multi-Hazards around the Pacific Rim in Davis California, for the period of August 21-22, 2008, with associated optional field trip on August 23-24, 2008.
The symposium is organized under the auspices of the California Institute for Hazard Research, a new research initiative at the University of California.
The symposium will bring together leading researchers of APRU member universities in the field of seismology, volcanology, earth and environmental sciences, civil engineering, and related social sciences, in order to understand the mechanisms and implications of natural disasters due to multi-hazards.
Included among these are earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, together with other hazards such as flooding, landslides, droughts, and wildfires.
Through improved understanding, it is hoped that society will find more effective and unified means of mitigating these disasters and developing sustainable and robust social and economic structures.
An important area of emphasis will be scientific aspects of events now called catastrophes (“cats”) , and super-catastrophes (“super cats”), by the reinsurance and financial industries.
Included among these are earthquakes and tsunamis, such as the Andaman Islands – Sumatra event in the Indian Ocean during 2004.
This symposium aims to stimulate discussion among APRU institutions to learn and to collaborate on solving problems arising from the diversity of mechanisms of these geological hazards and to find ways of building sustainable societies that are robust in relation to great natural disasters and their associated “super cats”.
This symposium will provide an opportunity to consider new directions in their respective research activities and disaster-prevention administration.
It is hoped that this close interaction will yield long-term collaboration among the participants.
Tab: Call for Papers and Participation
APRU Research Symposium on Multi-hazards around the Pacific Rim
Date:August 21 - 22, 2008, with optional field trip August 23-24, 2008.
Venue:Buehler Alumni Center (
on the campus of University of California, Davis, CA, USA, within 30 km
downtown Sacramento, CA, USA.
Symposium is organized under the auspices of the California Institute for Hazard Research of the University of California.
The Fourth APRU Research Symposium on Multi-hazards around the Pacific Rim will be held in Davis, California, hosted by the University of California, Davis. Talks are encouraged on new developments in research on earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, as well as on other hazards including floods, landslides, droughts and wildfires.
This symposium will bring together leading researchers of APRU member universities in the field of earthquake seismology and environmental science, earthquake engineering, civil engineering and social sciences such as disaster information studies.
Challenging the participants to think about cross-disciplinary issues in these fields, the symposium aims to stimulate a dialog about the diversity of mechanisms for these natural hazards, and to find better ways to develop sustainable and robust societies, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
The focus on multi-hazards reflects a new understanding that the problems associated with many natural hazards have common characteristics, relating to the four basic themes of:
- anticipation - (forecasting )
- mitigation - (reducing vulnerabilities through planning and engineered solutions)
- response - (short term emergency response)
- recovery - (long term economic, social, and political efforts)
We will especially encourage submissions on scientific aspects relating to great earthquakes and tsunamis, and their associated super catastrophes, particularly from the earthquake and tsunami generated in 2004 in the Indian Ocean.
A primary goal will be to investigate effective strategies for the future establishment of earthquake- and tsunami-resistant cities around the Pacific Ocean’s earthquake-prone Ring of Fire.
The symposium aims to stimulate the participants to consider new directions in their respective research activities and disaster-prevention and administration. It is hoped that this close interaction will yield long-term collaborations among the participants.
Tab: Venue, Hotel and Transportation Information
This section to be populated by:
Venue:Buehler Alumni Center (
on the campus of University of California, Davis, CA, USA, within 30 km
downtown Sacramento, CA, USA.
i) List of hotels in Davis, with web sites and instructions
ii)Travel instructions on how to get to Davis (Nearest airport = Sacramento,
Amtrak trains, etc.)
iii)Helpful web sites:
Tab: Conference Organization
Organizing Committee:
Members:
Secretary General Kenneth McGillivray,Association of Pacific Rim Universities, National University of Singapore
Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef,University of California, Davis
Vice Provost William Lacy, University Outreach and International Programs, University of California, Davis
Dean Winston Ko, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of California, Davis
Dr. Siew Yin Yap, Secretariat, Association of Pacific Rim Universities, National University of Singapore
Co-Chairs:
Professor John Rundle, Director - UC California Institute for Hazard Research, UCDavis
Professor Louise Kellogg, Chair, Department ofGeology, UC Davis
Program Committee
Members:
Professor Donald Turcotte, University of California, Davis
Professor Lisa Grant, University of California, Irvine
Professor Bruce Luyendyk, University of California, Santa Barbara
Dr. Rodman Linn, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Dr. Douglas Rotman, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Professor Yi-Min Wu, National Taiwan University
Professor James Mori, Kyoto University
Professor Teruyuki Kato, Tokyo University
Co-Chairs
Professor John Rundle, University of California, Davis
Professor Louise Kellogg, University of California, Davis
Tab: Abstract Submisssion
Conference Theme: “Multi-Hazards around the Pacific Rim”
Sub-Themes
-Statistics, mechanisms, and dynamics of natural hazards, including especially earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and including floods, droughts, landslides, and wildfires
-New approaches in forecasting and prediction
-Remote sensing
-Role of information technology
-Mitigation through the built environment
-Building resilient and robust social and economic systems
-Educational activities and public outreach
-Hazards and catastrophes as complex systems
Submission Guidelines
One to two (1-2) page abstract to be submitted.
- Submission deadline: April 1, 2008
- Acceptance notices issued: May 1, 2008
Papers will be published on the conference web site.
Format for Abstracts:
Abstracts should be in Times New Roman font, 12 point, with 1-inch margins. Title, author affiliations, and details should appear as in the example below. Images can be included, but may not appear in the abstract book in color.
(Example of Abstract Format)
Extreme Earthquakes: Implications of the Current State of Earthquake Risk Assessment and Forecasting
John B Rundle and James R. Holliday (Department of Physics, Geology and Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95618; Tel 530-752-6416; Email )
Major earthquakes are a type of extreme event that can produce great damage and loss of life. As world populations become more heavily concentrated in seismically active regions, it is only a matter of time before a major earthquake destroys a large metropolitan area. Until recently, it was thought that little or no information could be detected about future major earthquake locations or occurrence times using only seismic catalogs. The state-of-the-art in spatial information about future earthquakes has been the national and world hazard maps, which are actually forecasts of ground shaking probabilities over a 50-year time window. Similarly, the temporal dependence of major earthquakes has been thought to be governed by Poisson statistics, implying that future earthquakes have no memory of past earthquake locations or occurrence times. However, very recent research is leading to a substantial reappraisal of the information content of standard seismic catalogs. Using new ensemble classifier technology, together with signal detection theory, both of which grow out of modern pattern analysis methods, we are now finding that much tighter limits can be placed upon the space and time windows in which future major earthquakes will occur. Using these ideas, it may be possible to assess earthquake risk by computing actual space-time probabilities relating to the occurrence of major earthquakes in a region. In this talk, I discuss current research in this field, as well as the difficulties that may occur in practical use of these ideas in the public policy and economic arenas.
Tab: Registration
Online Registration
You will be able to attend the symposium, whether or not you submit a paper, so your active participation will be welcome.
APRU Website:
For further enquiries, please email the organizers at University of California, Davis:
Tab: Program (Tentative)
Aug 21 (Thu) 09:00 – 09:30Registration
09:30 – 10:00 Opening Ceremony
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:00Invited Talk
11:00 – 12:15Oral Session 1
12:15 – 13:30Lunch
13:30 – 14:15Invited Talk
14:15 – 15:30 Oral Session 2
15:30 – 15:50Coffee Break
15:50 – 17:20Oral Session 3
18:00 – 19:30Reception
Aug 22 (Fri) 08:30 Registration
09:00 – 09:45 Invited Talk
09:45 – 10:15 Oral Session 4
10:15 – 10:30Coffee Break
10:30 – 12:15Oral Session 5
12:15 – 13:30Lunch
13:30 – 14:15Invited Talk
14:15 – 15:45 Oral Session 6
15:45 – 16:00Coffee Break
16:00 – 16:30Closing Ceremony