Thursday, April 27, 2017

AZGS @ National Earthquake Program Managers Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City - 25-27 Apr. 2017


NEHRP Logo

Each year, earthquake experts from ~ 30 U.S. States meet for three days to commiserate – and brainstorm - on the challenges of mitigating the impacts from earthquakes on people and property.  FEMA (Fed. Emergency Management Agency) hosts the meeting as a part of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP). Most years, AZGS participates.

The key objective each year is for the National Earthquake Program Managers (NEPM) to share earthquake information, exchange ideas, and to critique and support new or innovative ideas.
This year there’s a sea change in FEMA’s approach to state assistance, with a return to direct state funding to participating states for earthquake mitigation and outreach. For Arizona, that involves ~ $30,000 in federal funds matched dollar for dollar by the AZGS.  

In our two ½ days together, we engaged in the following:

  • ·         A nationwide overview of seismicity from Maine west to Missouri (and the New Madrid Fault zone), California, Cascadia, Alaska and finally, Hawaii;
  • ·       The nature and origin of induced earthquakes in Oklahoma;
  •          From the City Manager of Cushing, OK, the impact of a magnitude 5+ event that damaged dozens of buildings and disrupted the community for months;
  •          Improving the earthquake performance of manufactured homes – apparently, there’s ample room for improving the initial, on-grade set-up and deployment;
  •          From OK’s Deputy Insurance Commissioner on how OK is managing the insurance challenges that accompany moderate magnitude earthquakes – e.q., earthquake insurance covers catastrophic insurance and carries a very high deductible, up to 10-15% of the home value;
  • ·       Changes in community expectations on the rapidity and magnitude of govt. services in the event of a disaster – in brief, expectations are ramping up and outpacing the delivery of emergency services;
  • ·       Jim Wilkinson of CUSEC (Central US Earthquake Center) addressing the advantages (and challenges) of building a five-year strategic plan for mitigating earthquake impacts.
  • ·       Coming soon from FEMA (May or June 2017) - School Safety Guide for natural Hazards  FEMA P-1000;
  • ·       Updates from participating state agents and seismic consortiums (e.g. WSSPC) regarding progress on communicating and mitigating seismic hazards.
  • National Earthquake Program Managers & friends
  • ·       Earthquake outreach program to owners of manufactured homes. Yuma, AZ, with a large ‘winter visitor’ population that shelter in mobile homes was showcased.

This is a grab-bag sampling of the presentations and information shared at this year’s NEPM. A key function of the meeting is networking with other state representatives, FEMA, and FEMA partners, e.g., FLASH and OPP.  

Friday, April 21, 2017

'Be it Proclaimed' - Salute to Dr. Mary Poulton (Univ AZ)

Sen. McCain aide (l) reading letter thanking Mary Poulton (r).

At today's Arizona Mining Alliance luncheon, Dr. Mary Poulton, Professor, University of Arizona, was honored for her long service to America's mining industry and to her students and colleagues at the University of Arizona.

Mary's impact was felt far and wide as evinced by the letters acknowledging Mary's contribution to Arizona, from:

  •  Sen. John McCain (read by Sen. McCain aide)
  •  Sen. Jeff Flake (read by Sen. Flake aide)
  •  Arizona House & Senate (read by Rep. Vince Leach of District 11)
  •  Gov. Doug Ducey (read by Bill Assenmacher


From the University of Arizona's Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources website, 'Dr. Mary Poulton is a University of Arizona Distinguished Professor, Head of the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering, and Director of the new interdisciplinary Institute for Mineral Resources at the University of Arizona. She is the first woman to head an engineering department at the University of Arizona. She received her Ph.D. in geological engineering from the UA in 1990'. Some of this is outdated, Dr. Poulton stepped down from her role at the Lowell Mineral Institute, but her accomplishments are legion and would require more time and space than available here.

Mary is retiring from academia and moving to Washington state. Her energy, drive and ideas will be sorely missed in southern Arizona.

Mary, best wishes for a bright and productive future from your colleagues at AZGS. 
Posted 4/21/2017