Urban Infrastructure to Be Focus of Half-Day Workshop

SCEC and LANL Workshop

On Friday, September 18, 1998, SCEC and the Urban Security Group of the Los Alamos National Laboratory will sponsor a half-day workshop focusing on a multidisciplinary master model of seismic hazards in southern California. The session, held from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Pasadena Holiday Inn, will follow the annual meeting of the Western States Seismic Policy Council.

SCEC and Los Alamos are collaborating to develop a comprehen-sive model for simulating urban disasters. Linking multiple models developed by environmental engineers, geologists, software designers, natural hazard specialists, mathematicians, hydrologists, civil engineers, and transportation experts, the sponsors hope to integrate earth science data for use in probabilis-tic seismic hazard analysis. The most important outcome of the joint effort will be development of a computer-based, multilay-ered geographic information system database for use by the infrastructure and emergency response communities.

The SCEC-Los Alamos collaboration was driven by concerns for the vulnerability of the highway and utility systems in southern California. At a workshop last January, the two sponsors invited end-users such as Caltrans, utility representatives, and disaster response groups to discuss an approach for linking earth science models.

A continuation of this effort, the September 18 workshop will refocus efforts on end-user input and identification of possible funding mechanisms. Invited guests will include representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services, California Division of Mines and Geology, Caltrans, California Energy Commission, city and county of Los Angeles, utilities, Red Cross, PEER, TriNet, and FEMA. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served following the workshop.

Through its collaboration with Los Alamos, SCEC continues its efforts to develop a realistic scenario for a Los Angeles-based earthquake. The Los Angeles Earthquake Scenario includes a case study, a scenario earthquake, a demonstration project, and the beginnings of a technology transfer project. This will lead to publications in professional journals, hands-on tools for emer-gency planners, and models for post-event crisis management and restoration of the damaged environment.