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Research Tuesdays: Reducing Earthquake Impact
Date/Time: Tuesday, 26 May 2015, 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: The Braggs lecture theatre
Cost: Free event.
More information: Visit website
Inaugural Lecture
As recent events in Nepal have reminded us, earthquakes can be terrifyingly destructive. In the past 15 years, they've caused over 650,000 deaths, and property damage exceeding US$300 billion.
Reducing this impact presents a huge challenge. Prediction - long the ultimate goal - is now widely considered impossible. Engineering stronger stuctures can certainly help, but is often prohibitively expensive. So where are accessible advances to come from?
According to Professor Sandy Steacy, the answer may well be 'operational earthquake forecasting' (OEF); and in her Inaugural Lecture she'll explain why.
Prof Steacy will discuss the science behind OEF, its role in assessing short-term changes in earthquake hazard, and the difficulties of communicating those changes to decision-makers and the public.
The presenter
Professor Sandy Steacy is Head of the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Adelaide. She was previously Professor of Earthquake Physics at the University of Ulster, and in 2011 was a member of the expert panel on future seismic hazard in New Zealand's Canterbury region, which informed revised building codes in Christchurch.
What's an Inaugural Lecture?
The University of Adelaide's Research Tuesdays Inaugural Lectures are held to mark major milestones in our researchers' careers, such as achieving the rank of Professor, or being appointed to a Chair or other Professorship.
Contact: Jessica Douglas, Email: jessica.douglas@adelaide.edu.au, Research Marketing Coordinator, Business: 08 8313 0884
