Collaborative Research: Geoengineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association: Turning Disaster Into Knowledge

记录并从极端事件后的观察中学习，对于推进多危险工程的最新技术和实践是非常宝贵的。记录的观察结果可作为我们理解这些事件的影响、其潜在的起因机制以及验证设计程序的基准。捕捉到这些观察结果对于推动该行业的发展至关重要。目前，地质工程地震勘察协会进行震后勘察。在成功开发了震后勘察的创新技术后，该协会正在扩大其范围，将其他自然灾害和人为灾害包括在内。这种任务的扩大反映在它的新名称：地球工程极端事件侦察(GEER)。虽然震后勘察仍然是一项中心任务，但我们认识到，地球观测小组成员已经有效地参与了勘察工作，记录了其他极端事件(例如世贸中心塔楼坍塌、卡特里娜飓风和丽塔飓风)的岩土影响。GER处于有利地位，可以在开发创新技术和协议方面发挥领导作用，以便对其他自然和人为灾难造成的破坏影响进行侦察。极端事件产生的许多数据和信息都是易腐烂的，因此必须在事件发生后几天或几周内收集。在国家科学基金会的支持下，仍然需要组建战略地球工程勘测团队。在最近的侦察工作中采用的许多创新技术，如使用数码相机、全球定位系统设备、个人数字助理、遥感和数字测绘，都是由GER成员开发的。Geer快速组建经验丰富的新地质工程师的能力是无与伦比的。然而，通过在下一次活动之前更好地协调，通过不断发展技术和培训年轻专业人员，这些努力正在得到改进。通过与其他也制定了有效程序的专业人士合作，并与其他社区分享这项研究的结果，将把极端事件未来的有害影响降至最低。该奖项提供资金，用于在新扩大的范围内继续开展GERE管理和侦察活动，为与重大地质工程有关的灾害提供快速反应调查。预计平均每年将对中等规模的活动进行一到两次调查。如果发生重大灾难，将派遣一个小型快速反应小组，以确定所需反应的规模，以便能够迅速提交追加资金的请求。

Documenting and learning from observations following extreme events are invaluable to advancing the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice in multi-hazards engineering. Recorded observations serve as benchmarks to our understanding of the effects of these events, their underlying causative mechanisms, and for validation of design procedures. Capturing these observations is critical to advancing the profession. Currently, the Geo-Engineering Earthquake Reconnaissance Association performs post-earthquake reconnaissance. Having succeeded in developing innovative techniques for post-earthquake reconnaissance, the association is broadening its scope to include other natural and human-made disasters. This broadening of its mission is reflected in its new name: Geo-engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER). While post-earthquake reconnaissance continues to be a central mission, we recognize that GEER members have already participated effectively in reconnaissance efforts that document geotechnical effects of other extreme events (e.g., World Trade Center Towers collapse and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita). GEER is well positioned to provide leadership in developing innovative technologies and protocols for performing reconnaissance of the damaging effects from other natural and human-made disasters. Much of the data and information generated by extreme events is perishable and therefore must be collected within a few days or weeks of the event. There continues to be a real need for assembling strategic geo-engineering survey teams with NSF support. Many of the innovative techniques employed in recent reconnaissance efforts, such as use of digital cameras, GPS devices, PDAs, remote sensing, and digital mapping, were developed by GEER members. GEER's ability to rapidly assemble experienced and new geo-engineers is unmatchable. However, these efforts are being improved through better coordination prior to the next event, through continued development of technologies, and training of young professionals. By joining with other professions who have also developed effective procedures, and sharing the results of this research with other communities, the future detrimental effects of extreme events will be minimized.This award provides funds for continuation of GEER management and reconnaissance activities under the new expanded scope of providing quick response investigations of major geo-engineering-related disasters. It is expected that an average of one or two investigations of moderate sized events would be conducted per year. In the event of a major disaster, a small quick response team would be dispatched to determine the magnitude of the needed response so that a request for additional funds could be quickly submitted.