Natural Hazards Observer
| March 2005 | Volume XXIX | Number 4 |
A Special Report on Tsuanmi Reconnaissance Activities
EERI Sends Teams to Indian Basin
Few natural disasters in historical times have had such far-flung, catastrophic consequences as the Sumatra earthquake of December 26, 2004, and the tsunamis generated across the Indian Ocean. The research community has been deeply affected by the devastation, the still-increasing loss of life, and the valiant response and recovery efforts undertaken by survivors and outside volunteers. On January 6, 2005, EERI’s (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute) incoming president, Craig Comartin, announced an unprecedented reconnaissance effort to capture critical perishable technical data from these tsunamis.
Comartin conveyed the sadness and frustration of those throughout the earthquake community: “Our hearts are heavy for those who have suffered such profound losses. The only solace I can offer is a commitment to redouble our efforts to improve technical knowledge and raise public awareness. It is important to know that we are not completely powerless in the face of similar risks. There are measures we can take to reduce losses in future earthquakes and tsunamis.”Initial Teams
EERI dispatched teams of tsunami and earthquake engineering experts to join other international teams throughout the affected region. These initial EERI teams included geotechnical, structural, and coastal engineers; geologists; geophysicists; and experts in fluid mechanics. One team, led by Harry Yeh of Oregon State University, surveyed the eastern coast of India. Yeh’s team includes R.K. Chadha (National Geophysical Research Institute, India), Mathew Francis (URS Corporation, Hawaii), and Curt Peterson (Portland State University).
A second team traveled to Sri Lanka and then to the Maldives. It is headed by Philip Liu of Cornell University and includes Harindra Joseph Fernando (Arizona State University), Bretwood Higman (University of Washington), Bruce Jaffe (U.S. Geological Survey), Patrick Lynett (Texas A&M University), Robert Morton (U.S. Geological Survey), Costas Synolakis (University of Southern California), reporters William Hermann (The Arizona Republic) and Tom Paulson (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), and Jeff Topping (Topping Photography, Phoenix).
Both teams have gathered data on estimated wave heights, the extent of inundation, geological scouring, and other perishable information related to the physical aspects of tsunamis. They are coordinating their work with teams from Japan and Australia and with Jose Borrero (University of Southern California), who led a National Geographic team and was one of the first U.S. researchers to gain access to northern Sumatra.
A 13-member team of engineers led by EERI member Sudhir Jain, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has investigated structural damage and impacts on port facilities along the eastern coast of India as well as the Adaman and Nicobar Islands. Jain’s team includes Suresh Ranjan Dash, Hermant Kaushik, Javed Malik, C.V. Murty, Durgesh Rai, Snigdha Sanyal, Lieutenant Colonel Santosh, and Lieutenant Colonel J.S. Sodhi (all from IIT Kanpur), as well as Pratibha Gandhi (IIT Madras), Arvind Jaiswal (Hyderabad), Gautam Mondal (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai), and Alpa Sheth (government of Gujarat).
Jay Love of Degenkolb Engineers, chairman of EERI’s Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) Committee, noted that this event poses unique challenges. “Usually we focus on a local or regional area. The geographic scope of the tsunami impact demands the best people and the best technology we can muster.” Team members are traveling with the latest in digital cameras, GPS (global positioning system) units, and current satellite imagery to guide their field investigations and data gathering.
Subsequent Teams
For 10 days beginning January 22, 2005, a joint EERI-DRC (Disaster Research Center, the University of Delaware) team focused on societal impacts in areas in India and Sri Lanka that were most severely impacted. The team has documented the impacts on communities and the region, including search and rescue operations, medical response, multinational relief, organizational response, effects on children and families, shelter and housing, and social and economic impacts. The goals were to collect perishable data, identify communities and organizations that were particularly hard-hit by these events, identify local and state agencies as well as local and international nongovernmental organizations that are taking part in the recovery and relief efforts, and make contacts with research centers in the affected nations. This effort will provide the first step in developing long-term collaborative relationships that will contribute to a better understanding of the disaster’s social and physical impacts, the complexities of disaster response and relief across many nations that are coping with similar disaster problems at the same time, and issues that will affect the physical, social, and economic recovery of the region in general.
This team includes Havidán Rodríguez (DRC), James Kendra (University of North Texas), Joseph Trainor (DRC), and Tricia Wachtendorf (DRC). Primary concerns for this investigation are the absence of integrated warning systems in countries around the Indian Ocean, transnational coordination and collaboration in the provision of response assistance, the distribution of disaster relief aid and supplies, disaster vulnerability and the social and economic consequences of the tsunamis in different nations, differences in disaster response and protective action, and the impact of the disaster on children and other vulnerable groups.
DRC was the first social science research center in the world devoted to the study of disasters. For additional information on DRC, visit http://www.udel.edu/DRC/.
A joint EERI-TCLEE (American Society of Civil Engineers Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering) team of engineers will focus on damage to lifelines, including highways, bridges, ports and harbors, water delivery systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and other utilities. Subteam leaders in this effort will be Donald Ballantyne (ABS Consulting), Curt Edwards (Pountney Associates), and Anshel Schiff (Precision Measurement Instruments).
These reports will be compiled and published by EERI as part of the LFE Program (funded by the National Science Foundation). EERI member Bill Iwan will coordinate the investigation and report.
Virtual Clearinghouse
EERI plans on using advanced techniques to coordinate and disseminate the data using a Web-based virtual clearinghouse. EERI member Haresh Shah has taken the lead in putting together a “virtual” or “cyber” team composed of the following:
- Bangladesh: Jamilur Choudhury (BRAC University)
- East Africa: Badru Kiggundu (Uganda Seismic Safety Association)
- India: Sudhir Jain (IIT Kanpur) and Ravi Sinha (IIT Mumbai)
- Indonesia: Teddy Boen (World Seismic Safety Initiative)
- Malaysia: Judin Abdul Karim (government of Malaysia)
- Maldives: Abdullahi Majeed (government of the Republic of Maldives)
- Myanmar: U Thant Myint (Myanmar Engineering Society) and the director general of the Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
- Singapore: Tso Chien Pan (Nanyang Technical University)
- Sri Lanka: Srikantha Herath (United Nations University)
- Thailand: N. Arambepola and Rajesh Sharma (Asian Disaster Preparedness Center)
In addition, Kerry Sieh of the California Institute of Technology will contribute a general write-up of the Sumatran fault, its past history, and the general seismic environment.
These individuals have been authorized to post reports on the new EERI Web site for this event. Their reports will cover one or all of the following topics:
- For tsunami-related impacts, accurate input on the time of arrival of the wave, number of waves, height of the waves, how far inland their effect was felt, data on the performance of engineered buildings to wave forces, and the main cause of failures
- Any previous historical information on tsunamis in the region
- Any past research or development on a tsunami warning system for the country of interest
- Social, economic, and political impacts of the disaster
- A GIS- (geographical information system) based map that can provide information on the location of affected sites, inundated regions, and any other geographic-based input
Mailboxes have been established on the EERI Web site for submission of additional information to these country contacts. Those who wish to contribute information or to read reports from the field are encouraged to access the Tsunami Virtual Clearinghouse via the EERI Web site: http://www.eeri.org/.
The preceding article was reproduced with permission from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Newsletter, p. 1, February 2005.
Editor’s Note: The intent of EERI’s virtual clearinghouse is to facilitate information dissemination after major earthquakes. The clearinghouse is meant to be a centralized location for researchers of all disciplines to exchange event-particular data. It is a place to store data obtained directly after an earthquake as well as longer-term projects, such as presentations and papers on lessons learned. Access the virtual clearinghouse at http://www.eeri.org/lfe/clearinghouse/. The following reports are currently posted to the Tsunami Virtual Clearinghouse:
- EERI Preliminary Reconnaissance Report on Sumatra, Indonesia. Jose Borrero.
- EERI Preliminary Reconnaissance Report on the South-East Indian Coast. Harry Yeh, Curt Peterson, R.K. Chadha, G. Latha, and Toshitaka Katada.
- EERI Preliminary Reconnaissance Report on Social Science Aspects in India. Havidán Rodríguez, Tricia Wachtendorf, James Kendra, and Joseph Trainor.
- EERI Preliminary Reconnaissance Report on Social Science Aspects in Sri Lanka. Havidán Rodríguez, Tricia Wachtendorf, James Kendra, Joseph Trainor, and Ram Alagan.
UN to Coordinate Indian Ocean
Early Warning System
In response to the recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean, international delegates at a special session at the United Nations’ (UN) World Conference on Disaster Reduction pledged their support to create a regional tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean, emphasizing the importance of international and regional cooperation. The new warning system will draw from the experience of the Pacific Ocean tsunami early warning systems, making use of the existing coordination mechanism of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
The UN will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the new system, which could be operational in a year’s time. Countries from around the world have already committed national resources and technical assistance to establish the system, which is estimated to cost $30 million.
Find out more about these efforts, their progress, and activities that support them, at the IOC’s “IndoTsunami” Web site at http://ioc.unesco.org/indotsunami/.