Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
june 2014
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natural hazards
House committee examines earthquake early warning system
On June 10, the House Natural Resources, Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the development of an earthquake early warning system in the U.S. Witnesses representing academia, government, and local transportation agencies all spoke to the potential benefits of implementing an early warning system.
Dr. Douglas Toomey of the University of Oregon reported that the infrastructure for an expanded, fully implemented system already exists, and that data from preexisting seismic stations could afford communities precious seconds or even minutes of warning, giving people time to halt transportation, stop surgeries, and evacuate buildings. For example, Dr. Toomey estimates that for an earthquake occurring in northern California, sensors could provide up to three minutes of warning to Portland, Oregon and five minutes of warning to Seattle, Washington. Dr. Toomey further explained that placing seabed sensors near the Cascadia Subduction Zone would help safeguard the Pacific Northwest against earthquakes and tsunamis.
ShakeAlert, an early warning system already being tested in California, detects earthquake initiation, estimates the location and magnitude, and provides seconds to minutes of warning to local populations. Many other nations, including Japan, Mexico, and Romania have earthquake alert systems in place to prevent casualties, protect infrastructure and industry, and reduce emergency spending.
In the last decade, federal funding for earthquake early warning has averaged $1 million dollars per year. Although subcommittee members had differing views on potential funding sources, all expressed interest in strengthening and expanding the program.
Sources: E&E News, House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
NASA widens 2014 research mission to study hurricanes and tropical storms
During this Atlantic summer hurricane season, NASA plans to widen its tropical storm studies with the addition of two unmanned Global Hawk aircraft ideal for flying over storms and monitoring the conditions under which they form and intensify.
The effort is part of NASA’s Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (or HS3) mission, a collaboration of multiple NASA centers and federal and university partners. The program, in its third year of study in the Atlantic Ocean, will send the two Global Hawks to collect data with six instruments to measure temperature, precipitation, humidity, and surface winds. One aircraft will monitor the environment around the storms, and the second will focus on the storm interior. The flights will take place between August 26 and September 29, during the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
At the same time, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will launch surface wind measurement instruments to the International Space Station to better measure ocean surface winds in the tropics and mid-latitudes to improve forecasting.
The HS3 mission is part of NASA’s continuous work in studying weather processes on Earth and providing necessary information to understand and protect both local populations and the planet.
Sources: NASA, NOAA, Science Daily
Colorado Senator Mark Udall calls for USGS funding to prevent natural disasters
On June 24, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, called for the Senate to prioritize funding for natural hazard mitigation. Sen. Udall specifically highlighted the need to ensure funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landslide Hazards Program’s Flash-Flood and Debris-Flow Early Warning System.
In a letter written to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Udall emphasized the importance of such a system in Colorado, which has suffered from recent wildfires, flooding, and related landslides. Sen. Udall credited USGS with providing critical information and aiding in emergency response.
The Demonstration Flash-Flood and Debris-Flow Early-Warning System, operated through a partnership between USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), supplies residents of recently burned areas with crucial information on when flash floods and debris flows are most likely to occur. In his statement, Sen. Udall also encouraged the USGS to work with the other agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, on the early warning system.
Sources: Senator Mark Udall, U.S. Geological Survey