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Helen Crowley, Secretary General of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation, recently visited Australia, delivering the prestigious Joyner Memorial Lecture at the 2024 Australian Earthquake Engineering Society (AEES) Conference in Adelaide and engaging with Geoscience Australia in Canberra. Her visit highlighted the ongoing collaborations and future opportunities to enhance seismic resilience across the region.

At AEES 2024, Helen presented the Joyner Memorial Lecture, titled “Why Seismic Hazard Modelling Has Become a Risky Business”, addressing the evolving challenges and advancements in seismic hazard modelling. Her talk explored the implications of these developments on building design and resilience strategies. Other notable keynote speakers included Timothy Sullivan from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand  and David Wald of the U.S. Geological Survey.

The conference served as a hub for earthquake scientists and engineers from academia and industry, promoting discussions on a wide range of topics of relevance to earthquake resilience. Helen remarked, “The AEES provides an invaluable opportunity for the earthquake community in Australia and neighbouring countries to exchange knowledge and build connections that are essential for advancing earthquake science and public safety.”

Before the conference, Helen visited Geoscience Australia (GA), a long-standing GEM public partner, to explore collaborative projects and share updates on mutual interests. Whilst there she met with a number of teams within GA’s Community Safety Branch, including Earthquake Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Mitigation, and Natural Hazards and Impacts. Key topics of discussion included advances in seismic hazard modelling, multi-hazard risk assessment with the OpenQuake Engine, the ongoing RAMSEY project, and areas of future collaboration in seismic hazard and risk assessment, both nationally and internationally.

Helen’s visit underscored the shared commitment to improving earthquake preparedness and risk reduction strategies in Australia and beyond. As both GEM and Geoscience Australia explore further opportunities for collaboration, such as aftershock hazard assessments and rapid impact assessment, these initiatives are expected to contribute to a safer, more resilient future.

For more details on GEM's work or to arrange a customised presentation tailored to your organisation’s needs, contact the GEM Foundation. GEM’s projects and programmes for the public sector aim to inform policy-making, enhance risk reduction planning, and support efforts to build safer and more resilient communities.

To learn more about GEM’s ‘past, present, and future’ programs, download the paper: “A Brief Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation”.