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National Geophysical Data Center

A worldwide compilation of earthquakes and their magnitudes, losses, and references for information from ancient times to the near present.

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/...
United States Geological Survey

Up to the minute reports of worldwide earthquakes, with maps, estimates of affected local area, seismological information, and other data. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute

Reconnaissance reports from recent earthquakes.

http://www.eeri.org
News
Publication of Spanish version of the oral histories of Robert Park and Thomas Paulay
Due to the efforts of Professor Carlos Llopiz at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina, the oral history volume on Robert Park and Thomas Paulay published by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering has been translated into Spanish. It is available as a freely downloaded pdf at:
https://www.eeri.org/site/images/projects/oralhistory/park_paulay_espanol.pdf

The translation was done by Claudia Llopiz, and EERI member Professor Jose Restrepo of the University of California at San Diego provided editorial oversight. The team at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo is now at work in translating the EERI oral history on Vitelmo Bertero, which will be announced when it is available. The other books and downloadable pdfs in the EERI oral history series are available at:
https://www.eeri.org/monographs-and-oral-histories/oral-history-series/

-Bob Reitherman
Chair, EERI Oral History Committee

Octorber 24, 2017

Annoucement
Two Large Earthquakes in Mexico
On Septmeber 6, the 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Mexico, Chipas Earthquake, struck off the country's southern coast and affected 1.5 million people, with more than 90 casualty and 40,000 homes damaged. A dozen of strong aftershocks measuring above 5.0 in magnitude continue to affected the devastated areas. One September 19 , the 7.1-magnitude earhquake, 2017 Central Mexico Earthquake, hit the country of Mexico again at the south of the city of Puebla. Due to the earthquake-related building collapses more than 350 fatalities and 6,000 injuries have been reported. The IAEE officers offer our heartfelt sympathy for those affected by the earthquake in Mexico.

- IAEE Central Office

October 15, 2017

News
Prof. J. Eisenberg passed away
The IAEE extends our deepest condolences on the passing of Prof. J. Eisenberg. He had long served as the president of the National Committee of Russian Federation for participation in International Organizations for Earthquake Engineering (RFNCEE). For IAEE, Prof. Eigsenberg had served as a member of Executive Committee since 1996 to 2004. We would like to address our sincere acknowledgements to his distinguished contributions to earthquake engineering and mitigation of earthquake damage.

- IAEE Central Office

May 1, 2017

News
New Honorary Members of IAEE
The IAEE is pleased to announce that the following distingushed scholars have been awarded IAEE honorary membership for their outstanding contribution in the field of Earthquake Engineering.
Thomas D. O'Rourke (USA, Lifeline Earthquake Engineering)
Masayoshi Nakashima (Japan, Experimental Earthquake Engineering)
Polat Gulkan (Turkey, Earthquake Engineering)
Michael Fardis (Greece, Earthquake Engineering)
James M. Kelly (USA, Earthquake Protection Systems)

- IAEE Central Office

April 1, 2017

News
New Executive Committee Members
The IAEE welcomes the following new Executive Committee members: Svetlana Brzev, Serbia Consulting Structural Engineer Dina D'Ayala, UK University College London Ellen M. Rathje University of Texas Ken Elwood, New Zealand University of Auckland Otton Lara, Ecuador Consulsismica

- IAEE Central Office

April 1, 2017

News
Report from the 16th World Conference of Earthquake Engineering, Santiago, Chile
The 16th World Conference of Earthquake Engineering was held in Santiago, in Chile,from January 9th to 13th. It hosted scientists and engineers working in the field of earthquake engineering all over the world, who contributed with more than 2000 scientific papers. A great variety of topics was presented, among which structural engineering, performance-based design, lifeline systems, design criteria, social and economic issues, and lessons from recent earthquakes. The 16th WCEE was a great occasion to establish new collaborations and to enforce the existing synergies inside the international scientific community, in order to spread the developments reached by the scientific research.
The IAEE is pleased to announce that the 17th WCEE will be hosted in Sendai, Japan, from September 14th to 18th 2020, and it is confident that it will provide another important chance of international collaborations.

- IAEE Central Office

April 1, 2017

News
An Obituary for Professor Vitelmo V. Bertero
We are deeply sad to inform the international community of earthquake engineering that Professor Vitelmo V. Bertero passed away as a age of 93. Prof. Bertero CEE, Professor Emeritus of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, faculty member for 33 years, passed away on Oct. 24, 2016. He was known as a world-renowned pioneer, expert, and leader in the field of earthquake engineering, Please find below a tributary poted in the CEE department of UC Berkeley.

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/news/1299

- IAEE Central Office

Novemeber 5, 2016

News
An Obituary for Professor Ray William Clough
We are deeply grieved to inform the international community of earthquake engineers that Professor Ray William Clough, Professor Emeritus of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, has passed away on October 8th, 2016. He was known as one of the founders of the finite element method (FEM). Professor Clough was a Honorary Member of IAEE taking into account his distinguished service to earthquake engineering.

- IAEE Central Office

October 10, 2016


Prof. Anil K. Chora, Honorary Member of IAEE, Professor of the University of California, Berkeley, wrote a remembrance article for Ray.

In Memoriam: Ray W. Clough
November 9, 2016

News
The August 24 , 2016 M 6.8 - Myanmar Earthquake
A detrimental earthquake of 6.8 magnitude hit the central area of Myanmar, 30 km far from the town of Bagan. The site was famous for hosting more than 2500 ancient temples and more than 180 pagodas were destroyed. At least one person was killed and different people were injured. Tremors were also felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and India. The IAEE offers our deep sympathy to the Myanmar country for all the lost and to all people that were affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

August 28, 2016

News
The August 24 , 2016 M 6.0 - Rieti Earthquake, Italy
A M6.2 earthquake struck a string of hill towns across the central area of Italy. The mainshock was recorded close to Rieti, 200 km from the capital Rome, and it was followed by more than 39 shocks with magnitude between 3.0 and 5.5. The death toll rises to more than 280. The most affected were histric towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto. Deep damages were reported to structures, infrastructures and hospitals and a large number of people have been evacuated. This earthquake has been declared as the largest earthquake in Italy since L'Aquila earthquake in 2009. The IAEE offers our deep condolences and sympathy to all people that were affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

August 25, 2016

News
The April 16, 2016 M 7.8 - Ecuador Earthquake, Ecuador
A M7.8 earthquake occurred 170 km far from the capital city Quito. The earthquake struck mainly the cost southeast of Muisne, in the Esmerald provinces, including the largest port city, Santiago de Guayaquil. Widespread damages were reported in structures and infrastructures and a large number of casualties and injuries occurred. The IAEE officers addresses our deep condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

April 22, 2016

News
The April 14-16, 2016 M 7.0 - Kumamoto Earthquake, Japan
The two major earthquakes, Mw6.2 foreshock on April 14 and Mw7.0 mainshock on APril 16, hit the east of Kumamoto city in Kyushu Island, southwest of Japan. More than 10,000 housings and buildings, and the Kumamoto castle suffered severe damage by the strong ground motions. More than 44,000 people have been evacuated and around 1,200 injuries and 50 fatalities have been reported (as of April 22). The IAEE addresses our sincere condolences and deep sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

April 22, 2016

News
The February 5, 2016 M6.4 - 28km NE of Pingtung, Taiwan
The M6.4 earthquake occurred approximately 30 km northeast of Pingtung City in southern Taiwan. The worst affected city was Tainan, where several hundreds damaged buildings are reported. Most of fatalities and injuries concentrated on the collapse site of a 17-story apartment building where more than a hundred people were trapped inside. The IAEE offers deepest condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

NARLabs, an independent non-profit institute consisted of several national laboratories in Taiwan, summarized a brief report of the earthquake and the resulting damage.

The pdf version of the report is available from the link below.
February 6, 2016 (local time) ML-6.4 Meinong Earthquake Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

- IAEE National Delegate, Prof. Shyh-Jiann Hwang of National Taiwan University

February 8, 2016

News
THE IAEE AT FIFTY is now available online.

THE IAEE AT FIFTY: A Brief History of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering By Polat Gulkan and Robert Reitherman, September 2012

But disaster pursues us. It pursues us with a step as steady as time, and an appetite as keen as death.

- Lord Beaverbrook

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
2. A Half-Century of Perspective
3. Seismic Safety: Our Common, Elusive Goal
4. An Overview of the Establishment and Development of IAEE
5. World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI) and Other Global Programs
6. The World Conferences on Earthquake Engineering
7. Conclusion
Appendix 1
Prehistory of IAEE (1960 through 1963)
Appendix 2
Officers of IAEE from 1963
Appendix 3
Member Countries of IAEE as of 2012
Link to PDF file

Conference
Invitation on 3rd International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation -2016 - Indoneisa

Indonesian Earthquake Engineering Association (IEEA) and Udayana University (UNUD)-Bali hold the 3rd International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation on 1-2 August, 2016 in Bali, Indonesia.

Please check the leaflet below for the first annuncement and call for abstracts.

the 3rd International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation

- IAEE Central Office

December 10, 2015

News
The April 25, 2015 M 7.8 Nepal Earthquake
The earthquake occurred approximately 80 km to the northwest of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu at shallow depths. A large number of fatalities and injuries, and wide-spread damage to infrastructure, buildings and historic monuments have been reported in Nepal and its neighboring regions. The IAEE offers our deepest condolences and sympathy to those affected by the devastating earthquake.

- IAEE Central Office

April 26, 2015

News
The Passing of Nigel Priestley

One of earthquake engineering's leading lights of the past several decades, Nigel Priestley, has passed away. The notice from the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering is reproduced here. It is with deep sadness that I inform you Professor Nigel Priestley passed away peacefully on Tuesday December 23, 2014 in Christchurch, surrounded by his wife and children, after a long battle with cancer. Nigel revolutionised the design of structures to resist earthquakes and made everlasting impact on the higher education for earthquake engineers in NZ, US and Europe. Nigel received numerous honours for his immense contribution to the science and art of Earthquake engineering. Amongst these, it include honorary doctorates from ETH, Zurich and Cujo Argentina; Nigel was a Distinguished Fellow of IPENZ, Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), and a Life Member and a past President of the Society (1985-1986).

January 23, 2015

Obituary for Professor Nigel Priestley

- Gregory MacRae, IAEE National Delegate of New Zealand, with much help from friends and colleagues in New Zealand and elsewhere

February 9, 2015

News
The Republic of Costa Rica Joins IAEE as the Newest Member Country.

Following a formal application for membership by la Asociacion Costarricense de Ingenieria Estructural y Sismica (ACIES), the IAEE Executive Committee has resolved to accept Costa Rica as its newest Member Country. We welcome our Costa Rican colleagues into the Association. With this addition, IAEE now has reached 58 members.

- IAEE Central Office

July 9, 2014

Message
Remembering The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011

It has now been two years since the occurrence of what has turned out to be one of the deadliest and most costly natural disasters ever witnessed in the world. The M9 mega-event that shook the northeastern seaboard of Honshu Island, where the nearest major city is Sendai, ranks among the largest seismic events that have been recorded. The earthquake unleashed a major tsunami that swept across many smaller fishing settlements along the Tohoku coastline, and exacted a human loss toll that stands in excess of 18 000 with many injured. A series of seemingly unlikely equipment failures at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant led to multiple meltdowns and releases of radioactive materials into the environment following the earthquake and tsunami.

The scale of the disaster beggars description in terms also of economic losses. While performance of building systems, railway networks and early warning equipment for lifelines was good, many images of death and destruction brought by the tsunami were etched into the memory of everyone in the world. The Japanese people bore the tragedy with fortitude, and have gained the respect of other countries that must live within the shadow of the seismic threat because of the many individual tales of communal spirit and selfless solidarity.

This disaster must serve as a call for sustained vigilance and unflagging preparedness to protect lives and assets against the seismic hazard. The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) against natural disasters and their harmful effects was crafted in 2005 in Japan ten years after the Kobe earthquake to serve as the blueprint for risk reduction policies that governments must adopt and enforce. The International Association for Earthquake Engineering (IAEE) was among professional organizations that contributed to the preparation of HFA, and through its member national organizations, has been among the principal mechanisms for implementing the guiding principles that it has outlined.

We respectfully commemorate the memory of victims of the March 11, 2011 Japan earthquake with bowed heads, and pledge to pursue the objectives of IAEE in ensuring a safer world for all those who stand in danger of the seismic peril.

- Officers and Executive Committee Members of IAEE

March, 2014

Conferences
10NCEE
10NCEE. The 10th U.S. National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (10NCEE) will be held in Anchorage, Alaska on July 21-25, 2014. The conference, on the 50th Anniversary of the Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, will provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share the latest knowledge and techniques to mitigate the damaging effects of earthquakes and tsunamis. More information can be found on the conference website at 10NCEE.
June, 2014
News
Obituary for Professor Sheldon Cherry

We are deeply grieved to inform the international community of earthquake engineers that Professor Sheldon Cherry, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, has passed away on March 23, 2014, a few days short of his 86th birthday. Professor Cherry's service to IAEE was as follows: Director (1973-1980), President (1996-2002), Honorary Member (from 2004). [move page]

March 23, 2014
News
A Tribute for Nicholas N. Ambraseys, Honorary Member, by Edmund Booth

Nicholas Neocles Ambraseys (1929-2012) was one of the towering figures of engineering seismology, who played a key role in the development  of the discipline for more than half a century - from before the foundation of the IAEE in 1963 (he attended the committee meetings in 1960 that led to its establishment) right up to the time of his death at his London home on 28th December. [move page]

News
More than 30 national organizations have endorsed the IAEE declaration on the sentencing of six scientists and one public administrator in Italy over accusations of having made a falsely reassuring statement before the L'Aquila Earthquake in 2009.

National organizations from the following countries have endorsed to the IAEE declaration.

Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Korea, Macedonia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Chinese Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela

News
Declaration by the International Association for Earthquake Engineering on the Sentencing of Seven Scientists in Italy Over Accusations of Having Made a Falsely Reassuring Statement Before the L'Aquila Earthquake in 2009

hat seven scientists who were members of the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks have been sentenced to prison terms for having provided "inaccurate, incomplete and contradictory" information about the danger of the minor tremors felt ahead of 6 April 2009 M6.3 earthquake, leading to the deaths of some 300 persons in and around the historic town of L'Aquila in central Italy.

While we have not examined the wording of the court's decision we must take a stand on what we believe is a flawed judgment that might have a negative impact for the future. Earthquake science is not a magical tool that allows anyone to state with any degree of credible reliability when and where an earthquake with a prescribed size will occur because earthquake occurrence does not conform to a simple and coherent pattern. The interpretation of minor foreshocks to state whether they herald a major earthquake to follow has yet never been done, except in the imagination of publicity seekers with no scientific credentials or on account of pure coincidence. The seven defendants are all well known in their respective professional fields, and enjoy the respect of their peers. We feel that justice has been poorly served, and a dangerous precedent has been established with the verdict. No responsible scientist will henceforth dare to risk his or her professional reputation (not to mention personal well-being) by interpreting signals of activity from volcanoes or possible effects of hurricanes. Forces of nature usually do not lend themselves to easy forecasts, and most are inherently unpredictable.

The communication of risk to the public in a way that it can be easily understood is one of the most difficult challenges facing science and technology. The loss of life that occurred in L'Acquila was tragic and regrettable, but that is attributable to many other causes besides the statement undersigned by the defendants,and the variability of the ground motions that attacked those buildings. The aftermath must not be allowed to turn into a spectacle calling for false culprits to punish in the interest of appeasing the public outrage. Instead, we must draw the right lessons so that there will be no victims in the future in this type of a preventable disaster.

Book
Newest Tutorial from EERI and IAEE World Housing Encyclopedia:
Improving the Seismic Performance of Stone Masonry Buildings

Authored by Jitendra Bothara of New Zealand and Svetlana Brzev of Canada, the tutorial focuses on traditional stone masonry dwellings primarily in the earthquake-prone countries of Asia, explains the underlying causes for their poor seismic performance and offers techniques for improving both new and existing buildings. A pdf version of the tutorial is available at the World Housing Encyclopedia
website: http://www.world-housing.net/tutorials/stone-tutorials

The production of the tutorial was a collaborative effort among EERI, the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering and the Earthquake Engineering Center of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan.

The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the United Nations Development Programme has printed copies of the tutorial for distribution through their program in Asia. The publication will be shared with UNDP country offices, national governments' disaster management ministries and offices, and used in training programs. EERI and the National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur have copies available for the cost of shipping and handling. EERI shipping rates are: $10 to the U.S., $15 to Canada and Mexico, and $20 to other countries. Please contact NICEE (nicee.org) to order the publication from them.

the World Housing Encyclopedia is a joint project of EERI and IAEE. More information is available at the project website: www.world-housing.net.

Annoucement
Announcement of the Joseph Penzien Memorial Fund

A fellowship fund has been established in the name of Joseph Penzien to fund and support graduate engineering students enrolled in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Preference will be given to students who have demonstrated financial need and have chosen the field of structural engineering and structural mechanics. The goal is to raise $500,000 to qualify for a named graduate fellowship.

To make a contribution, please send cash/checks to Enid C. Pollack, Sr. Development Director at UC Berkeley College of Engineering, 210 McLaughlin Hall, College of Engineering, Berkeley, CA 94720-1722. Please make checks payable to UC Berkeley College of Engineering and include check memo: Joseph Penzien Memorial Fund. Ms. Pollack can be contacted by phone at 510-642-2257 or by email at epollack@berkeley.edu.

Annoucement
Online searchable World Conference Proceedings

All of the papers in the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering Proceedings from the first WCEE in 1956 to present have been digitized by the National Centre of Earthquake Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur

Papers from all of the World Conferences can be accessed at:

https://www.nicee.org/wcee/index2.php