Volume 2, Number 6, April 2005

GEO-INFORMATION FOR SNOW AVALANCHE HAZARD
FOR THE DAMAGED AREA BY THE MID NIIGATA-PREFECTURE
EARTHQUAKES IN 2004
Japan’s Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) produces the geo-information for snow avalanchehazards in the catchment area of the Imo-river, which was the principal damaged area by the Mid
Niigata-prefecture Earthquakes in 2004. This information is composed of the grid map on theavalanche probability (see Figure below) and the landform classification map on the avalanche.
The avalanche probability of each grid is classified from the total of scores from the surveyed data;(1) inclination angle of slope, (2) depth of snow-fall, (3) land-cover (woodland, grassland, bare land,etc.), and (4) typical avalanche-prone landform.

Grid Map of the Avalanche Probability
Inclination angel of slope is calculated from the digital elevation model that was surveyed byair-borne laser scanner (LiDAR). Depth of snow-fall is estimated from the surveyed data for theperiods in December 2004 and February 2005. Land-cover is classified by the interpretation ofaerial–photograph which was taken just after the earthquake. Typical avalanche-prone landform isalso interrelated with the aerial-photos, a standard method of geomorphological investigation.
GSI provides such map information to all local governments in the area, for the improvement of theavalanche warning.
Contact: Dr. Masaharu TSUZAWA, Director, Geodetic Observation Center, Geographical Survey
Institute (GSI), tsuzawa@gsi.go.jp

RESPONDING TO GLOBAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS: RAPIDLYESTIMATING THE IMPACT OF AN EARTHQUAKEPAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) is an automated alarm system
under development by the US Geological Survey (USGS) to rapidly and accurately assess theseverity of damage caused by an earthquake, and to alert emergency responders, government
agencies, and the media to the scope of the potential catastrophe. USGS’ National Earthquake
Information Center (NEIC) annually reports more than 30,000 earthquakes. Tragically, on average,
25 of the earthquakes cause significant damage, injuries, or deaths. USGS often detects thesequakes well before eyewitness reports are available and must decide rapidly if Federal andinternational agencies should be alerted to a potentially damaging event. Currently, USGS relies
primarily on the experience and intuition of the on-duty seismologists to estimate the impact of anevent.
PAGER will provide important information to help emergency relief organizations, government
agencies, and the media plan their response to earthquake disasters. PAGER will distributealarms by pager, cell phone, and email including a concise estimate of the earthquakes impact.
The alarms will provide an estimate of the number of people exposed to varying levels of shaking,a description of the region’s vulnerability, and a measure of confidence in the systems impact
assessment. Associated maps of shaking level, population density, and susceptibility to landslides
will be posted on the Internet. This information will be available within minutes of the determinationof the earthquake location and magnitude. Improvements to the USGS real-time detection system
will decrease the response time to as little as 15 minutes. PAGER uses these earthquake
magnitude and location to calculate estimates of ground shaking using the methodology andsoftware developed for ShakeMap (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/shakemap). The number of people
exposed to various levels of shaking is calculated by combining the maps of predicted groundshaking with Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Landscan2002 population database. Finally,
PAGER generates an impact statement by considering the vulnerability of the exposed populationand infrastructure, potential for earthquake-induced landslides, and, if available, damage reports
from previous nearby historic earthquakes for comparison purposes and damage projection.
Contact: Dr. Paul Earle, Geophysicist, United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake
Information Center, Golden, CO, pearle@usgs.gov