Collaborative Research: Geo-engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association: Turning Disaster Into Knowledge

记录极端事件并从观察中学习，对于推进多灾害工程的最新技术和实践是非常宝贵的。记录的观察结果是我们理解这些事件的影响、其潜在的致病机制和验证设计程序的基准。捕捉到这些观察结果对于促进这一职业的发展至关重要。目前，地球工程地震勘测协会负责震后勘测。在成功开发了震后侦察的创新技术后，该协会正在扩大其范围，以包括其他自然和人为灾害。任务的扩大反映在它的新名字上：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GEER成员已经有效地参与了记录其他极端事件（如世贸中心大楼倒塌和卡特里娜飓风和丽塔飓风）岩土工程影响的勘察工作。GEER在开发创新技术和协议方面处于领先地位，可以对其他自然和人为灾害的破坏性影响进行侦察。极端事件产生的许多数据和信息是易逝的，因此必须在事件发生后几天或几周内收集。在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，组建战略地球工程调查小组仍然是一个现实的需要。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、GPS设备、pda、遥感和数字测绘，都是由GEER成员开发的。GEER快速集结经验丰富的新地球工程师的能力是无与伦比的。不过，通过在下次活动之前进行更好的协调、继续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员合作，并与其他社区分享这项研究的结果，将最大限度地减少极端事件未来的有害影响。该合同为GEER管理和侦察活动的继续提供资金，在新的扩大范围内提供主要地球工程相关灾害的快速反应调查。预计平均每年将对中等规模的事件进行一到两次调查。在发生重大灾害时，将派遣一个小型快速反应小组，以确定所需反应的规模，以便能够迅速提出追加资金的请求。

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.