Building GEM

GEM will set a uniform, independent standard for earthquake hazard, risk and loss assessment. Its implementation is based on a combination of national, regional and global elements, and will integrate developments on the forefronts of scientific and engineering knowledge as well as IT processes and infrastructure.

It will take five years to build the first working global earthquake model, including corresponding tools, software and datasets. The work started in 2009 and at the end of 2013 GEM will be presenting the first version of the global earthquake model.

The global earthquake model is constructed by means of various 'building blocks'. These components together ensure that a uniform and independent standard for global earthquake risk assessment will be established. Construction over time can be visualised as follows: 



GEM1: GEM1 is a focused pilot project to generate GEM’s first products and initial model building infrastructure that will finish March 31st 2010.

Global Components: Global Components are the scientific modules of GEM that are developed at a global scale. They will provide standards, models, tools and data. They are addressed by international consortia that respond to Requests for Proposals (RfPs) that are released periodically by the Scientific Board.

Regional Programmes: Independent projects carried out in various regions around the world, that will provide necessary and more detailed data on a regional scale as input to the model, and will test and trial the standards and software from the global components.

Executive Committee: The body that coordinates the integration of output from the global components and regional programmes into the model. The executive committee includes experts in hazard, risk, socio-economic impact and IT.

GEM Model Facility: Assembles and maintains global and regional data, provides capability to compute, analyse and communicate global seismic hazard, risk and socio-economic impact estimates.

The GEM Model infrastructure is the operational infrastructure created to integrate these various components, as to be able to develop an open source, dynamic, uniform, Global Earthquake Model.