Loss Assessment for Earthquakes

Project Description

Results: Rapid assessment of losses to residential buildings, industrial facilities and infrastructure in the case of earthquakes on a global scale. Rapid projections of direct economic loss, impact on infrastructures (downtimes), casualties, fatalities and number of homeless people including needs for emergency shelters.

Methodologies: Based on the huge flow of information via internet (focussing on earthquake-report.com) and building on the largest earthquake loss database available (CATDAT) and using indicator based evaluation methods, a structured picture of losses for earthquakes will emerge. They will be compared with other events based on tectonic, regional, and socio-economic characteristics such as Human Development Index (HDI) and other relevant parameters.

Scientific Goals: (1) Understanding loss patterns and their dependency on tectonic, physical and societal factors, (2) Understanding shelter needs from a comprehensive analysis of losses, and environmental and human factors, (3) Understanding relations between the level of preparedness (code compliancy, civil protection structure, mitigation efforts, regulations, etc.) and actual losses.

Fig. 1: The disaggregated earthquake (red) versus tsunami (blue) economic loss in each municipality following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

Fig. 2: The progression of the casualties, medical personnel and search and rescue teams in the days following the 2011 Van earthquake.

Publications

Wenzel, F., Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Mühr, B., Kunz-Plapp, T., Markus, M., Vervaeck, A. (2012) “Real-time forensic disaster analysis”, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 14, EGU2012-1328.

Daniell, J.E. (2012) “The CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database – 2011 – Year in Review”, CEDIM Research Report 2012-01, Earthquake-Report OF Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Kunz-Plapp, T., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A., Muehr, B., Markus., M., Erdik, M. (2011) “Comparing the current impact of the Van Earthquake to past earthquakes in Eastern Turkey”, CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group – Report #4, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Khazai, B., Daniell, J.E., Kunz-Plapp, T., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A., Muehr, B. (2011) “Shelter report for the Oct. 23 2011 Eastern Turkey Earthquake”, CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group – Report #3, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A., Khazai, B., Kunz-Plapp, T. (2011) “Update No. 2 report for the Oct. 23 2011 Eastern Turkey Earthquake”, CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group – Report #2, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Wenzel, F., Daniell, J.E. (2011) “Initial report for the Oct. 23 2011 Eastern Turkey Earthquake”, CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group – Report #1, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E., Vervaeck, A. (2011) “The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake – CATDAT Situation Reports 1-50”, Earthquake-Report.com.

Daniell, J.E.; Vervaeck, A.; Wenzel, F. (2011) “A timeline of the Socio-economic effects of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake with emphasis on the development of a new worldwide rapid earthquake loss estimation procedure”, Australian Earthquake Engineering Society 2011 Conference, Nov 18-20, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Khazai, B., Vervaeck, A. (2011) “A Country-by-Country Building Inventory and Vulnerability Index for Earthquakes in comparison to historical CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database losses” Australian Earthquake Engineering Society 2011 Conference, Nov 18-20, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Khazai, B., Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F. (2011) “The March 2011 Japan Earthquake – Analysis of losses, impacts, and implications for the understanding of risks posed by extreme events”, Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie und Praxis 20. Jg., Heft 3, November 2011.

Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A. (2011) “The CATDAT damaging earthquakes database”, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 2235-2251, doi:10.5194/nhess-11-2235-2011, 2011.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A. (2011) “The Socio-economic effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-14270.