Hazardous natural processes in high mountains

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Although they occur infrequently, natural disasters have a high social and economic toll that should concern all Canadians. Scientific research on hazardous natural processes can help Canada become more resilient to natural disasters and save us billions of dollars in economic losses. In my capacity as CRC Chair in Natural Hazard Research, I am building an interdisciplinary centre at Simon Fraser University that 1) supports innovative research on earthquakes, tsunami, landslides, floods, other hazardous processes, and the effects of climate change on the landscape, 2) trains university students and postdoctoral fellows by imparting an exceptional set of skills and expertise in an area of critical importance to Canada, and 3) transfers information on natural hazards on people who need it. The direct benefits to Canada, in addition to a reduction in losses from natural disasters, are improved public safety, a better-informed public, and wiser land-use decisions. Support is requested from NSERC for several research projects that contribute to this effort, namely detecting historic landslides in New Zealand and western Canada using seismograph records, documenting the impacts of ongoing deglacierization on the landscape and natural processes in the Coast and St. Elias Mountains of western Canada, and developing paleoseismic tools for reconstructing large prehistoric earthquakes in Canada. The projects involve collaborations with over researchers at SFU, other universities, and government agencies, and provide students with a wide range of educational opportunities in geomorphology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, geochemistry, engineering geology, paleoecology, statistics, remote sensing, spatial data analysis, and other fields.