Meeting Minutes
Future Committee: Geologic Hazards
April 21, 2000

Present:
Jane Long, Dennis Bryan, Alan Rameli, Kyle House, John Bell, John Louie, Scott Tyler, Craig DePaolo, John Anderson, Larry Johnson

Absent-- folks who might be interested:  Jim Carr, Bob Watters, Rich Schultz, Jim Taranik, Jim Brune, Jon Price, Rich Schweickert, Bob Karlin, Steve Wesnouski, Geoff Blewitt

The meeting covered these topics: =20

1.      What are we doing in Geologic Hazards?

2.  &nb= sp;   What do companies hiring GE=92s need w.r.t. geologic hazards?
3.   &n= bsp;  What are some of the =93holes=94 in our programs?
4.   &n= bsp;  What are some untapped synergies that are possible with existing expertise?

(Scott and Jane spoke for Jim Carr, Dick French, Bobby Watters and Rich Schultz to the best of their abilities!)


1.  What are we doing now?
=B7     &= nbsp; Jim Carr:  Flood frequency analyses, risk analysis, remote sensing, and???
=B7      = ; Dick French:  Flood hazards on alluvial fans
=B7      = ; Bob Watters: volcanic hazards, avalanches, slope stability and ???
=B7      = ; Rich Schultz:  Rock failure analysis and ???
=B7      = ; Alan Rameli:  Paleo seismology, geologic mapping of flood hazards
=B7      = ; Kyle House:  Geologic studies of floods in small washes to large rivers
=B7      = ; John Bell:  Environmental geology mapping
=B7      = ; John Louie:  exploration geophysics applied to earthquake hazard analysis, Seismo web page, a new inexpensive way to measure local S-wave velocities needed for site engineering
=B7      = ; Scott Tyler (and hydro program):  Groundwater contamination, risk assessment, groundwater withdrawal, mine dewatering, safe yield issues, recharge estimates, flood analysis, nutrient flux into Lake Tahoe, waste containment, heap leach and waste rock dump operations, stability of covers, interest in swelling soils
=B7      = ; Craig DePaolo:  New ways to characterize seismic hazard, public education.  Craig notes that the strength of MSM is that the geologists talk to the seismologists.
=B7      = ; John Anderson:  seismic network measuring ground motions, deployment of digital measurements w/o state support, source physics, wave propagations, basin response, small scale site response, prediction of ground motion from an earthquake on a known fault, use of gps in hazard identification, precarious rock studies to bound earthquake=20 hazards.



2.  What do companies need?

=B7       Denni= s Bryan:  Nee people who recognize geologic hazards.  They rely on NBMG information and mapping for their business.

=B7     =   Larry Johnson:  Need broad skills, not specific, arcane training.  Both would like to hire BS degrees and train from there.  Need for professional degree programs. 

This discussion was largely deferred due to the absence of all GE faculty from the meeting.

3.  Holes in our program:

=B7       Subsi= dence  since Don Helm left, this area of expertise is a major hole

=B7     =   Swelling soils  this is, from a total dollar amount involved, the largest geologic hazard in the state and we have no one working on it
=B7      = ; Science of risk analysismany of us work on this, but we have no risk specialist
=B7      = ; In NBMG:  landslides, swelling soilsBobby Watters works on landslides, but there is no one in the NBMG


4.  Possible new synergies with existing resources:

=B7       Use fracture mechanics in analysis of earthquake mechanics:  Rich Schultz and Craig DePaolo might be interested to collaborate

=B7     =   Use remote sensing to produce environmental geology maps in key areas currently under rapid development but where there is little funding for on-the-ground mapping:  Jim Taranik and Jon Bell might be interested to collaborate.
=B7      = ; Develop a stronger explicit relationship with earthquake engineering side of CE.  Perhaps have a workshop with all folks doing earthquake work on campus:  John Anderson and Ian Buckle should discuss.
=B7      = ; Develop a stronger explicit relationship with Gary Norris on expansive soils.  Who on our side?
=B7      = ; Develop a series of short courses on geologic hazards  say in the Reno area.  NBMG might collaborate with GSD/GE such that student FTE might be generated and revenue could go to those that teach the course.  Larry and Dennis thought there would be very high demand for such short courses.  We might collaborate with CE on a short course on earthquake hazards. 


We plan to have another meeting to discuss the academic issues with the GE faculty.