[iris-bulk] AGU Joint Assembly

[IRIS]

For the AGU Joint Assembly in Acapulco, Mexico on May 22-25, please  
consider submitting a proposal for union session U12 "Disaster  
Mitigation and Capacity Building through Geophysical Monitoring". At  
this session, we hope to examine how geophysical monitoring can  
contribute to mitigation of natural disasters. A complete session  
description is appended below.

This session is being convened by
Gerardo Suarez of the National University of Mexico,
Patricia Alvarado of the National University in San Juan, Argentina,
Virginia Garcia Acosta of Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios  
Superiores en Antropología Social, Mexico,
Ray Willemann of IRIS, USA.

The invited participants at this session include
Jose Achache, director of the GEOSS secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland,
Arthur Lerner-Lam, director of the Center for Geohazards and Risk  
Research at Columbia University,
Sergio Barrientos, of the University of Chile,
Sergio Puenta, of Collegio de Mexico

Session U12: Disaster Mitigation and Capacity Building through  
Geophysical Monitoring

Description: Geophysics is an especially effective science for  
facilitating international collaboration and technology transfer  
because research generally requires both technical expertise and “in- 
place” observational campaigns. Geophysical monitoring contributes  
directly to natural disaster mitigation such as earthquakes, tsunamis  
and volcanic eruptions by providing better data for hazard analysis,  
warning systems, emergency response, and rapid loss estimation.  
Operation of monitoring networks can contribute to broader capacity  
building, especially if network technology and operations are  
frequently improved and coupled with technical training, open data  
exchange, and research collaboration. Recent developments suggesting  
that recognition of these societal benefits is broadening include  
initiatives at the UN Development Program and the World Bank to  
include natural disaster risk and mitigation in plans for development  
projects, national commitments to seek societal benefits through a  
Global Earth Observation System of Systems, and widely-recognized  
examples of success that include AfricaArray. We welcome  
contributions about development and operation of geophysical  
monitoring networks that contribute to international research  
collaboration and about the challenges in using these networks to  
contribute to societal goals.