Projects BEYOND BUTTON PUSHING Earthquake Risk Assessment and Sensitivity Analysis for California Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background The goal of the project was to show how important the quantification of uncertainty is in estimating and understanding California’s earthquake risk using OpenQuake - GEM Foundation’s state-of-the-art open source earthquake hazard and risk assessment software. With OpenQuake’s plug-and-play capabilities, expert users can individually select or substitute every model component, data, and assumption. This feature will help model users and decision makers to: 1) ‘ask the right questions’ when evaluating model results; 2) better interpret risk assessment results and gain trust in model results; and 3) make better risk management decisions. Duration: 2015-2017 Objectives The main objectives of this project are to: Establish representative sets of exposure: ‣ for the San Francisco Bay Area; ‣ for the Southern California region affected by the Shakeout Scenario Choose specific results (risk metrics) to use as a basis for comparison. Produce ‘baseline’ results from OpenQuake, using a ‘control’ set of assumptions. Undertake a thorough sensitivity analysis for the risk estimates for California based on the UCERF3 model by running OpenQuake multiple times, each time varying one assumption or parameter, such as: ‣ earthquake probabilities (controlled by assumptions about fault geometries, slip rates, maximum magnitudes); ‣ ground motion model selection; ‣ vulnerability functions; ‣ site conditions; and ‣ statistical treatment of uncertainty and correlation Beyond the aims stated at the outset of the project as listed above, several additional objectives were achieved during the course of the project, including the following: Implement within OpenQuake the latest seismic hazard model for California based on the recently published Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast version 3 (UCERF3), produced by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities. Calculate the average annual loss estimates for all 8,057 census tracts in California, using the seismic hazard model based on UCERF3. Establish the range (distribution) of scientifically viable results for the chosen risk metrics by accounting for the various uncertainties in the hazard model. Identify the components of the hazard model contributing most to the overall uncertainty in the risk metrics for the different exposure portfolios. Implement a model simplification (‘logic-tree trimming’) software tool to reduce the number of computer runs and greatly speed up the time required for running the risk model for California. Collaborators GEM Foundation Funding partner: Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission (SSC) Location California, United States

Projects HORUS Horus: Pilot for a generic damage evaluation methodology based on remote-sensing data Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background Horus is a pilot project that explores the combination of high-resolution building inventory data from OpenStreetMap and other local sources with image-processing algorithms for the detection of earthquake damage and flood extents using remote-sensing data, along with supplementary geospatial datasets as inputs to a machine learning (ML) classification model. The ML model is trained using detailed building damage datasets from past events in a supervised learning framework, and the trained model is intended to be used to estimate the extent of damage and loss in events previously unseen by the model. The proposed framework is applied in three case study applications: March 2020 Mw5.3 Zagreb earthquake; January 2020 Mw6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake and August 2016 Louisiana floods. The GEM Risk Team is responsible for the overall coordination of the project involving multiple partners, compilation of building-level earthquake damage datasets, development of the ML models, and training and testing of the models. Duration: 2020 Objectives This pilot project, initiated and funded by the World Bank, aims to develop a framework for semi-automated damage and loss assessment due to earthquake and floods from Earth Observation (EO) data and other supplementary datasets, while also leveraging recent advances in machine-learning algorithms. These damage and loss estimates can potentially be used for transparent financial compensation and to target the distribution of resources geographically and temporally. Collaborators Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation, JBA Risk, and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) Funding partner: World Bank Group Locations Earthquake case studies: Gorkha, Nepal; Puebla, Mexico; Puerto Rico, United States; Zagreb, Croatia Flood case study: Louisiana, United States

Projects ARMENIA PSHA MODELLING Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Republic of Armenia Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background This project responds to a World Bank request for a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for the Republic of Armenia. The goal of this study is to better understand the existing seismic hazard information in the country, and to provide an updated hazard model. The GEM Hazard Team supports all aspects of the model development, and in the running of the analyses with the OpenQuake engine. Duration: 2017 Objectives Probabilistic seismic hazard models, such as this model for the Republic of Armenia, can be used as a rigorous and robust basis for the design of a national disaster risk financing and insurance strategy. Collaborators Verisk (AIR Worldwide), GEM Foundation, Georisk Scientific Research Company Funding partner: World Bank Group Location Armenia

Projects MALAWI MULTI-HAZARD Comprehensive Multi hazard Risk Assessment in Malawi Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Outcomes Training Outreach Photos Publications Anchor 1 Background Malawi is a country strongly affected by the impact of extreme events, exacerbated by rapid population growth and urbanisation. A multi-risk assessment is currently lacking at the national level, while it is available only at the local level in some districts. Therefore, the project consortium intends to produce, for the first time, hazard and risk maps on a national level with a level of detail useful also at provincial level, using a probabilistic risk assessment approach, both for single hazards and for multi-hazard conditions (i.e. extreme winds and precipitation, earthquakes, landslides, river floods). The GEM Risk Team is reponsible for the seismic risk assessment, comprising the modelling of the hazard, exposure and vulnerability components and the calculations of seismic risk in the OpenQuake engine. Duration: 2023-2024 Objectives In line with the guidelines of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the multi-hazard probabilistic assessment carried out within the project provides risk estimates for both the most probable and frequent events, as well as for rare ones; at the same time, it allows for the analysis of events that have never been observed but may occur in the future, which is of particular importance considering the uncertainty caused by climate change. The assessment will therefore consider risks under current climate conditions as well as future conditions (2050-2100) under different climate change scenarios. For the realisation of the multi-risk assessment, the project partners will work closely with local stakeholders at all stages of the development, from data collection to the creation of the Risk Atlas and the Risk Information Web Platform, two tools that will collect information from the assessment and will make it easier to communicate and understand, thus following a capacity development approach that combines knowledge development with knowledge transfer. In addition, the partners will develop, again in collaboration with local stakeholders, a sustainability plan containing recommendations for maintaining and updating risk information, supporting the management, updating and accessibility of Malawi’s risk information by national and local authorities. Collaborators GEM Foundation, Centro Internazionale in Monitoraggio Ambientale (CIMA), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), British Geological Survey (BGS) Funding partner: World Bank Group Location Malawi Aiming to empower Malawi with a comprehensive understanding of disaster risks, the project will deliver the following key outputs: Comprehensive Hazard Identification and Assessment: A national-level assessment of various hazards in Malawi, including floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes, and strong winds. Exposure Mapping: Creation of maps outlining the extent to which people, infrastructure, buildings, and agriculture are exposed to each hazard. Vulnerability Assessment: Evaluation of the physical (infrastructure, buildings) and social (poverty, access to resources) vulnerabilities of Malawian communities to these hazards. National Hazard and Risk Profiles: Development of comprehensive national profiles that detail the hazards, their potential impacts, and the level of risk faced by different regions and communities. Knowledge and Technology Transfer: Training and capacity building for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practitioners and academic institutions in Malawi on using the multi-hazard risk assessment data and tools. Platform deployment, knowledge transfer, maintenance and ownership This project builds a long-term plan for Malawian experts to manage the multi-hazard risk atlas database. Through trainings and knowledge transfer, local technicians will become self-sufficient in maintaining the system and training future users. This ensures the platform's sustainability and empowers Malawian authorities to fully utilize the risk information for informed decision-making. a. Hands-on training on the Risk Atlas Database Training of the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) ICT team to install and utilise the Risk Atlas Database held in Salima, Malawi, from June 3-7, 2024. b. Exposure and Vulnerability Data The exposure and vulnerability work was delivered to the client and presented in a dedicated training session in November 2023. GEM Contributes to Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Progress in Malawi The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation actively participated in a Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment workshop held in Salima, Malawi, from June 3-7, 2024. This collaborative effort involved the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) as the host, alongside the International Centre for Environmental Monitoring (CIMA Research Foundation), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), and the British Geological Survey (BGS). Read more BUSINESS NEWS Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment workshop held in Salima, Malawi, from June 3-7, 2024 1/6

Projects ARISTOTLE Multi-Hazard Expert Advice System for ERCC Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background The All Risk Integrated System TOwards Trans-boundary hoListic Early-warning or ARISTOTLE consortium combines a number of services that enable a rapid understanding of events from various natural hazards (earthquakes and tsunami, volcanoes, severe weather and floods) and how they might unfold, thus aiding a deeper interpretation of the resulting hazards and impact. The GEM Foundation is supporting the consortium by providing an assessment of the impact of earthquakes using GEM's global exposure and vulnerability models, with a focus on metrics such as collapsed buildings and displaced people, such that it may provide an added value to existing rapid loss assessment services such as the USGS's Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER). Visit http://pilot.aristotle.ingv.it/ for more details about the project. Duration: 2022 - 2024 Objectives ARISTOTLE aims to provide Multi-Hazard Advice to the European Research Coordination Centre, either in advance of / during the activation of the EC Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM), in order to increase preparedness and response levels of the EU and to improve the ERCC’s assessment capacity. Collaborators ARISTOTLE is a multi-disciplinary partnership consisting of world-leading scientific centres in the areas of Earth and Climate sciences, providing operational and monitoring services, early warning and information systems as well as contributing to innovation and research actions. Location Global (Rome, Italy)

Projects Proyecto TREQ Comunicación y Formación en la Evaluación de Riesgos por Terremotos (TREQ) Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Visión general Resultados Capacitación Comunicación Fotos Publicaciones Anchor 1 Resumen El Proyecto de Capacitación y Comunicación para la Evaluación de Riesgos de Terremotos (TREQ) fue diseñado para demostrar cómo la evaluación de la amenaza y el riesgo sísmico puede informar a los tomadores de decisiones en el desarrollo de políticas de reducción de riesgos, así como también cómo se puede comunicar adecuadamente el riesgo de terremotos a las partes interesadas y al público en general. [PDF Executive Summary English ] Objetivos El proyecto se organizó en dos partes principales. El primero tuvo como objetivo desarrollar la capacidad para la evaluación de la amenaza y el riesgo sísmico a nivel urbano en América Latina, Quito (Ecuador), Cali (Colombia) y Santiago de los Caballeros (República Dominicana); mientras que la segunda parte fue desarrollar material de capacitación, educación y comunicación para mejorar la comprensión del riesgo de terremotos en todo el mundo. El programa se diseñó para un amplio espectro de partes interesadas, categorizadas en cuatro grupos principales: gobierno(tomadores de decisiones/autoridades públicas), industria (practicantes y profesionales), academia (investigadores y profesores) y la comunidad. Ecuador Municipalidad de Quito Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN) Instituto Geofísico (IG) Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Pichincha (CICP) Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Dominican Republic Servicio Geológico Nacional (SGN) Oficina Nacional de Evaluación Sísmica y Vulnerabilidad de Infraestructuras y Edificaciones (ONESVIE) Comité Técnico Nacional (CTN) Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) Colombia Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC) Departamento Administrativo de Planeación Municipal (DAPM), Cali Unidad Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD) Universidad EAFIT, Medellin Costa Rica Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) Mexico Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) Ubicación Quito (Ecuador), Cali (Colombia) y Santiago de los Caballeros (República Dominicana) Evaluación del riesgo urbano en América Latina y el Caribe En este componente se generaron los siguientes entregables: evaluación de amenaza y riesgo sísmico a escala urbana para las tres ciudades TREQ: Quito (Ecuador), Cali (Colombia) y Santiago de los Caballeros (República Dominicana). Se desarrollaron modelos de vanguardia para cada ciudad en estrecha colaboración con socios locales. Los modelos de entrada y los resultados están disponibles en la siguiente dirección URL: [github.com/gem/treq-riesgo-urbano/ ] a. Informes de la ciudad Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito [Español ] Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para Santiago de Cali [Español ] Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para Santiago de los Caballeros [Español ] b. Evaluación de peligros sísmicos Modelos probabilísticos de amenaza sísmica (PSHA) y conjuntos de datos para la evaluación de la amenaza a nivel urbano [PDF English ] Modelo Probabilístico de Amenaza Sísmica para la República Dominicana [PDF English | Español ] [Descargar Modelo ] Resultados de amenaza sísmica (condiciones en roca y en suelo [PDF English ] Análisis de la amenaza sísmica a escala urbana [PDF English ] c. Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico Resumen ejecutivo sobre la evaluación del riesgo sísmico urbano para las ciudades de Quito, Cali y Santiago de los Caballeros [PDF English ] Tipologías constructivas en Quito, Cali and Santiago de los Caballeros [PDF Español ] Base de datos de exposición georreferenciada de población y edificios en cada ciudad de TREQ [Cali ] [Quito ] [Santiago ] Base de datos de funciones de fragilidad y vulnerabilidad para cada clase de edificio presente en el modelo de exposición [Datos ] Mapas y métricas de riesgo para cada ciudad [Cali ] [Quito ] [Santiago ] d. Escenarios de la ciudad Base de datos con rupturas seleccionadas para análisis de escenarios [Cali ] [Quito ] [Santiago ] Evaluación del escenarios de amenaza para sismos representativos en Quito, Cali y Santiago de los Caballeros [PDF English ] e. Aplicaciones Urbanas Deslizamientos y licuefacción inducidos por sismo en Cali [PDF English ] Mejora de la comprensión mundial sobre la amenaza y riesgo sísmico Esta parte del programa fue diseñada para mejorar la comprensión y el conocimiento de la amenaza y el riesgo sísmico, y para ayudar a cerrar la brecha entre la información producida en estudios detallados de amenaza y riesgo y su comunicación a una amplia variedad de partes interesadas (que van desde locales expertos con competencias para evaluar el riesgo sísmico, a los tomadores de decisiones responsables de la implementación de medidas de reducción del riesgo). a. Sitio web para la capacitación en línea de OpenQuake La capacitación en línea de OpenQuake se diseñó para diferentes tipos de audiencia con diversos antecedentes y experiencia. A través de esta plataforma, los participantes interactuaron con los equipos científicos y técnicos del GEM para conocer los principales conceptos de la evaluación del riesgo sísmico, así como las características básicas del software de OpenQuake. [English | Español ] b. Manual de OpenQuake en formato online El manual oficial se convirtió de látex al formato reStructuredText gracias al apoyo de @USAID. El nuevo manual está ahora en línea en formato HTML y se puede accederse en: [Webpage English ] c. Tutoriales en video sobre peligros sísmicos y análisis de riesgos usando OpenQuake El proyecto ha producido 15 videos de capacitación técnica utilizando el software de OpenQuake (en inglés y español), 7 videos con material para difundir los modelos y resultados de la evaluación del riesgo urbano en las ciudades TREQ y 2 videos para comunicar el riesgo sísmico al público en general. público. OQ Engine Video Tutorials [ English | Español ] d. Manual para realizar análisis de amenaza sísmica Este manual presenta los conceptos básicos de la metodología clásica de PSHA y el amplio espectro de alternativas para modelar la sismicidad y las incertidumbres (epistémicas y aleatorias) en el software de OpenQuake. La evaluación probabilística del peligro sísmico (PSHA) es la metodología principal para evaluar el peligro potencial que representan los terremotos. Los mapas de amenaza se utilizan ampliamente en los códigos sísmicos nacionales para la zonificación de la amenaza sísmica y las disposiciones de diseño estructural. [PDF English ] e. Capacitando a educadores TREQ ha colaborado con cinco profesores universitarios de América Latina para conceptualizar, crear e implementar un curso unificado para el estudio del riesgo sísmico a nivel universitario. Los folletos en inglés y español explican con más detalle el concepto detrás de esta iniciativa y describen los primeros resultados y experiencias de los profesores de Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala y México. [PDF English | Español ] Comunicación y sensibilización sobre terremotos Las actividades de este componente se centraron en sensibilizar al público sobre la amenaza y el riesgo sísmico mediante la capacitación de un grupo diverso de profesionales en reducción del riesgo de desastres (RRD), junto con el personal a cargo de comunicar los riesgos al público, y mediante la realización de talleres comunitarios en áreas seleccionadas de las ciudades piloto. Artículos de noticias Eventos El seminario web Comprensión del riesgo sísmico a través del desarrollo de capacidades y el intercambio de conocimientos atrae a cientos de participantes de todo el mundo. [Article ] [Event page English | Español ] [Video ] Presentación del modelo PSHA nacional para la República Dominicana: un seminario web conjunto organizado por el Servicio Geológico Nacional Dominicano en cooperación con GEM, Oficina Nacional de Evaluación Sísmica y Vulnerabilidad de Infraestructura y la Oficina de Asistencia Humanitaria de USAID. [Event flyer Español ] [Video English | Español ] ---- Artículos Raising Earthquake Risk Awareness: TREQ’s community workshops for the general public Urban hazard assessment of selected cities in Latin America Local solutions to global problems: reducing disaster risk through collaboration and openness TREQ Project Updates: Site Effects Modelling and Urban Exposure Models USGS has joined the TREQ initiative for urban earthquake scenarios TREQ capacity building: OQ online training updates Jan-Feb 2021 TREQ2020 – Capacity development and OpenQuake online training, year in review TREQ OpenQuake Online Training: Earthquake Scenarios - Ground Motion Fields Sept 2020 Más en la sección GEM News a. Material didáctico para sensibilizar a la comunidad sobre el riesgo sísmico: Aplicación para el área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) [PDF Español ] b. Video para comunicar el riesgo de terremoto al público en general [English | Español ] c. Guía para profesores para el desarrollo de un curso introductorio de riesgo sísmico [PDF Español ] d. Perfiles de respuesta y mitigación de riesgos urbanos para las ciudades TREQ [Cali ] [Quito ] [Santiago ] Boletin informativo El boletín del proyecto TREQ tiene la intención de compartir actividades en evaluación de riesgos urbanos y materiales de capacitación y educación sobre riesgos de terremotos con una amplia gama de partes interesadas locales de la academia, los sectores público y privado, así como la sociedad civil en América Latina,el Caribe, y más allá. Newsletter no. 3 - May 2021 Newsletter no. 2 - September 2020 Newsletter no. 1 - March 2020 Maiden issue [English ] Maiden issue [Españo ] BUSINESS NEWS Concientizando el Riesgo: talleres para el público en general 1/4 BUSINESS NEWS Inicio del proyecto de marzo de 2020 1/4 BUSINESS NEWS Fotos de la formación OpenQuake Online de noviembre de 2020 1/2 BUSINESS NEWS Reuniones en Quito 1/10 BUSINESS NEWS Reuniones en Guayaquil 1/1 Visión general TREQ Resumen Ejecutivo [English ] Evaluación de la amenaza sísmica Modelos probabilísticos de amenaza sísmica (PSHA) y conjuntos de datos para la evaluación de la amenaza a nivel urbano [English ] Modelo Probabilístico de Amenaza Sísmica para la República Dominicana [English | Español ] [Descargar Modelo ] Resultados de amenaza sísmica (condiciones en roca y en suelo [English ] Análisis de la amenaza sísmica a escala urbana [English ] Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico Resumen ejecutivo sobre la evaluación del riesgo sísmico urbano para las ciudades de Quito, Cali y Santiago de los Caballeros [English ] Tipologías constructivas en Quito, Cali and Santiago de los Caballeros [Español ] Escenarios sísmicos Evaluación del escenarios de amenaza para sismos representativos en Quito, Cali y Santiago de los Caballeros [English ] Aplicaciones urbanas Deslizamientos y licuefacción inducidos por sismo en Cali [English ] Informes de la ciudad Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito [Español ] Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para Santiago de Cali [Español ] Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para Santiago de los Caballeros [Español ] Formación y comunicación del riesgo sísmico Manual de capacitación sobre análisis probabilístico de riesgos sísmicos (PSHA) [English ] Material didáctico para sensibilizar a la comunidad sobre el riesgo sísmico. Aplicación para el área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) [Español ] Guía para profesores para el desarrollo de un curso introductorio de riesgo sísmico [Español ] Disclaimer The contents of this project website such as studies, reports, audio-visual, news articles, blogs, and other information or media products including those in the external links are made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Projects PERU PUBLIC SCHOOLS Development of an Insurance Program for Peru’s Public Schools Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background The project aims to protect more than 50,000 public schools in Peru against the impact of natural hazards, and to improve continuity for children’s education by accelerating reconstruction and strengthening the country’s resilience through an innovative insurance programme. The GEM Hazard and Risk Teams are contributing to the design of the insurance programme with expertise in the earthquake hazard and risk modelling of school buildings in Peru. For more information, visit https://www.bmz.de/en/issues/climate-change-and-development/climate-risk-insurance/59532-59532. Duration: 2020 - 2024 Objectives The main objective of this project is to design an insurance programme for Peru’s public schools. The project will provide the Government of Peru with options to cover all or a subset of its more than 50,000 public schools against the impact of natural hazards thus accelerating reconstruction, while also strengthening the country’s resilience. Collaborators GEM Foundation, AXA XL, Munich Re, Peruvian Association of Insurance Companies (APESEG), JBA Risk Management, InsurTech Picsure. Funding partner: Germany’s InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF) Location Peru

Projects AELO ASCE Earthquake Loads Overseas (AELO) Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background The project is carried out within a collaboration between GEM and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) and the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD). The aim of the project is to provide a web service for computing design ground motions (on rock and soil) that are compliant with the ASCE guidelines (ASCE 7-16, ASCE 41-17, ASCE 7-22, ASCE 41-23) for 500 locations worldwide. In its inaugural year, AELO focuses on rigorously calculating seismic parameters, including Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), Ss, and S1 design values across 500 diverse global locations, particularly emphasizing rock site conditions. This aims to ensure compliance with ASCE7-16 and ASCE41-17 standards, essential for seismic assessment and design practices. In the following year, the project progresses to establish a secure webservice for computing design ground motions. This password-protected platform will provide access to ASCE7-16 and ASCE41-17 aligned calculations, simplifying access to these critical seismic design parameters. Transitioning into the third year, AELO expands its computational scope to encompass ground motion calculations across various soil conditions worldwide, encompassing 500 locations to adhere to ASCE 7-22 and ASCE 41-23 standards. This phase seeks to enhance the breadth of seismic assessments, offering a comprehensive understanding of seismic hazards on diverse soil types. Finally, in its fourth year, the project concludes with the introduction of a sophisticated, password-protected webservice. This platform offers the capability to compute design ground motions based on the latest ASCE7-22 and ASCE41-23 standards, supporting seismic engineers and researchers globally by providing accurate, standardized, and essential seismic design parameters for diverse geographical locations. Duration: 2022 - 2026 Objectives The primary objective of the project is to create a web service capable of calculating design ground motions, both on rock and soil, in adherence to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) guidelines. These guidelines include ASCE 7-16, ASCE 41-17, ASCE 7-22, and ASCE 41-23. This web service heavily relies on the hazard models that are part of GEM’s global mosaic and the OpenQuake Engine. Collaborators GEM, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with support from the U.S. Department of State (DoS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Location Global (Washington DC, USA)

Projects SARA Project South American Risk Assessment (SARA) Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Outcomes Training Outreach Photos Publications Anchor 1 Overview South America incorporates some of the most seismically active regions on the planet, where the South American subduction zone generates the forces to create the Andes Mountains and drives the occurrence of destructive earthquakes across Chile, western Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. In turn, the high vulnerability of many structures and the high population density of the main cities are factors that contribute to the region’s high seismic risk. In the last two decades alone, over 3,000 fatalities have been reported, and the economic losses have exceeded 30 billion USD (EM-DAT, www.emdat.be ). While expert capabilities exist in these countries to assess earthquake risk, the information, infrastructure, tools, and collaboration networks necessary to develop comprehensive knowledge among scientists and engineers and to move this knowledge into the mainstream of disaster risk reduction activities has been lacking. Objectives The approach is to bring together international best practice tools and methodologies with local expertise and knowledge needed to establish local ownership and define risk assessment objectives and priorities. GEM Foundation combined these elements and focused on developing local capacities across sectors (academic, public and private), across technical disciplines (e.g., hazard, risk, IT), and through the implementation of disaster risk reduction policies and programs. The program of capacity development was initiated in 2013 with the South America Risk Assessment (SARA) Project to bring experts, institutions, and stakeholders from 7 countries to develop a regional assessment of earthquake hazard and risk. GEM provided its OpenQuake earthquake hazard and risk analysis software and other tools and databases freely and openly to all participants. More than 50 of the region’s experts across 17 institutions collaborated to produce critical data sets, develop common approaches, and develop open-source tools for both data collection and interpretation. Collaborators The SARA Project, completed in December 2015, provided the foundation for formal and informal collaborations at many levels and for many purposes. GEM subsequently developed formal partnerships across public and private sectors (e.g., SuraAmerica Insurance, the Geological Survey of Colombia, EcoPetrol), academic partnerships (e.g., EAFIT Univ, Univ del Norte, Univ Catolica Chile), non-profits (e.g., OSSO), and most recently, with municipal governments (Cali, Colombia and Quito, Ecuador), for urban risk assessments. (complete list ) Location Andean Region (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina) Introduction The project was carried out by experts and institutions from the region using to the extent possible open data sets, methodologies and tools such as GEM’s new open source software, the OpenQuake Engine and other OpenQuake tools. The project revolved around 5 modules: hazard, exposure and physical vulnerability, socio-economic vulnerability and resilience, loss estimates and city scenarios. The modules were carried out by a variety of experts/scientists from the region , in collaboration with the project coordinators and, where relevant, the GEM Secretariat. 1. Seismic hazard In early 2013 the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) published seven Requests for Proposal covering topics related to the compilation of basic datasets as well as the creation and calculation of an updated probabilistic seismic hazard input model for South America. Five consortia of South American researchers responded to this request and submitted proposals, which were reviewed in an initial stage by scientists working at the GEM Secretariat, and successively discussed in a meeting in Bogota held in December 2013 at the “Servicio Geologico Colombiano”. 2. Exposure and Physical Vulnerability Development of exposure datasets and vulnerability functions for South America at regional, national and/or sub-national levels have been considered. Modelling of exposure and physical vulnerability in the most earthquake prone countries is the main goal in the first stage of the project. 3. Social Vulnerability and Resilience The social vulnerability component of SARA comprises the development of composite indicators of social vulnerability and resilience along with their robustness testing and validation. The objective is to provide tools and information useful for understanding the potential effects of earthquakes in communities of South America. 4. National and subnational estimation of losses An open and transparent seismic risk assessment for the Andean countries has been performed. A probabilistic approach was followed for the calculation of risk metrics, that includes average annual economic and human loss maps, mean loss exceedance curves per country, and statistics that reveal which building classes are most vulnerable to earthquakes. 5. City Scenarios Following the objectives of SARA, the development of city scenarios is crucial for planning risk management strategies in cities with larger concentration of population and exposed to significant hazard. In this sense, the GEM Secretariat has been seeking collaborations with research groups and governmental stakeholders that will be the end users of case studies in Lima (Peru), Quito (Ecuador), Medellín (Colombia), Iquique, Osorno and Rancagua (Chile). Capacity development and institutional strengthening To promote sustainability, SARA’s work included the following: capacity development and institutional strengthening, and stakeholder engagement. The outcomes of activities in these areas are described below. A blog by Carlos Costa featuring the SARA project workshop in Chile 2014. [News ] A wiki project website containing technical information about the SARA project. [Website ] BUSINESS NEWS Quito workshops 2015 1/3 BUSINESS NEWS Lima workshops 2015 1/2 SARA Project Executive Summary [PDF ] Probabilistic Seismic Risk Assessment Of The Residential Building Stock In South America [PDF ] A conference paper on Building A Ground-Motion Logic Tree For South America Within The Gem-Sara Project Framework [PDF ] SARA (South America Risk Assessment Project Workshop) on “Inventory of Quaternary deformation of South America” [PDF ]

Projects CAYMAN ISLANDS PSHA Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Cayman Islands Versión en español English version Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Overview Anchor 1 Background Thr project aims to perform a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for the Cayman Islands, and provide the seismic input necessary for the International Building Code (IBC). The GEM Hazard Team is responsible for the seismotectonic and geodynamic characterisation of the study area, the definition of distributed seismicity and fault sources, and the modelling of the epistemic uncertainties. Duration: 2020 Objectives The main objective is to provide input to the 2016 Cayman Islands Building Code, to support engineers in the seismic design and assessment of structures. Collaborators GEM Foundation, EUCENTRE Foundation Funding partner: Cayman Islands Government Location Cayman Islands