AIR collaboration to improve China quake model

AIR Worldwide Corporation has announced a collaboration with the China Earthquake Administration’s (CEA) Institute of Geology. As part of the collaboration, CEA will research active faults and paleoseismic studies in China. The findings of the research will enhance AIR’s China earthquake model to include the most complete database of active faults and pre-historic earthquake data in China.

“This collaboration will advance our understanding of the economic impact of the earthquake hazard in China and provide information that is critically important for the country’s continuing rapid development,” said Dr Xiwei Xu, deputy director of the Institute of Geology at CEA. “Detailed information on the characteristics of active faults and paleoseismic data provides the key input needed to estimate the frequency and magnitude of large catastrophic earthquakes. We are very happy to work with a leading catastrophe modelling firm like AIR on this project.”

The Institute of Geology is one of the major research arms of CEA specialising in active tectonics and paleoseismic research. One key objective of the collaboration will be to obtain a more thorough understanding of earthquakes that predate the introduction of seismographs. The CEA’s team of researchers will comprehensively review prehistoric earthquakes, particularly their location, timing and size. Paleoseismic evidence of prehistoric earthquakes includes offsets in geologic formations found in exhumed fault zones, evidence of rapid uplift or subsidence near coastal areas, laterally offset stream valleys, and liquefaction artifacts such as sand boils.