Earthquake, Hazards, and Disaster News
The MCEER Information Service is a comprehensive source for information on earthquake engineering, hazards mitigation, disaster preparedness, and related topics. IS posts new content frequently, covering a wide range of news and research topics.
As an added service, IS reviews published materials, maintains a database for conferences & continuing education opportunities, a portal to noteworthy Web sites, and other topics of interest.
Current News
"Smart" Bridges Harness Technology to Stay Safe
(June 18, 2009) Engineers are beginning to fit some of the most-traversed structures with sensors that can alert them to potential problems… Scientific American
7,300 Japanese Schools Highly Vulnerable to Quakes
(June 17, 2009) The education ministry of Japan reported 7,309 school buildings in the country are highly vulnerable to earthquakes… Japan Times
Drilling Might be Culprit Behind Texas Earthquakes
(June 16, 2009) Natural gas drilling in the area boosted the city's budget by $9.3 million last year, but drilling practices such as "fracking" may be contributing to the quakes… Las Vegas Sun
2.9 Earthquake in Western New York
(June 5, 2009) Today at 11am EDT, a minor earthquake of magnitude 2.9 occurred south of Batavia, New York (52 km east of Buffalo)… USGS
L'Aquila, Central Italy Earthquake Update
To view the latest news about the disaster, click here.
Research & Professional News
Engineers Research Effects of Heat Expansion on Economically Efficient Bridge Design
(July 1, 2009) Kansas State University researchers are studying the effects of integral bridge expansion resulting from heat to make these types of bridges a more viable alternative… Innovations Report
Typhoons Trigger Slow Earthquakes
(June 11, 2009) Typhoons can trigger imperceptible, slow earthquakes, researchers… BBC
USC Focuses on Finding Bridge Damage
(June 1, 2009) Researchers at the University of South Carolina are using $4 million in federal grant money to develop a specialized sensor that can detect bridge damage…The State