PIRE: Developing International Protocols for Offshore Sediments and their Role in Geohazards: Characterization, Assessment, and Mitigation

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The Partnership for International Research and Education (PIRE) program enables U.S. institutions to establish collaborative relationships with international counterparts and conduct research that neither partner could accomplish independently. With this award, P.I. Don DeGroot and Co-P.I.s from the University of Massachusetts, University of California-Davis, Tufts University, Vassar College, and Northeastern University will cooperate with Farrokh Nadim at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, in Oslo, and Mark Randolph at the University of Western Australia, in Perth, to carryout a program of research and education for assessment and mitigation of offshore geohazards. Their research focuses on offshore geotechnical, geophysical, and geological characterization; hazard triggering mechanisms; hazard mitigation and preparedness schemes; and international protocols for offshore hazard assessment and mitigation. Results should improve our understanding of the causes of past events and the potential for future events in regions where geohazard effects can be catastrophic. If successful, these efforts have the potential broader impact of influencing how governments and populations view the risks involved and the measures needed to mitigate damage from global geohazard events.The combined U.S.-Norwegian-Australian collaborative effort has eight research themes: 1) seabed sediment sampling and sample quality; 2) implementation of full flow penetrometers in offshore practice; 3) in-situ measurement of pore pressure; 4) evolution of seafloor morphology and geophysical characterization; 5) spatial variability of sediment properties and data visualization (GIS); 6) seismicity and triggering mechanisms; 7) disaster response, preparedness, and mitigation; and 8) international protocols for geohazard assessment and mitigation. Participants anticipate advances in the field of offshore hazard assessment with practical implications for coping with events such as landslide-generated tsunamis and effects on offshore oil drilling. The education component draws on the shared intellectual and physical resources of the participating institutions in three countries and utilizes technology in innovative ways. This use of IT tools will leverage resources from all partners and employ five different mechanisms: cross-institutional courses delivered electronically, international web casts for seminars, international undergraduate research opportunities, cooperative work experiences, and outreach activities via a program specific website. Additionally, U.S. student participants will benefit from mentoring and planned cross-cultural team experiences, thereby gaining early career introductions to an interdisciplinary professional network of experts in assessment and mitigation of offshore hazards.