Reducing risk where tectonic plates collide— A plan to advance subduction zone science
This science plan provides a blueprint both for prioritizing USGS science activities and for delineating USGS interests and potential participation in subduction zone science supported by its partners.
The activities in this plan address many USGS stakeholder needs, of which some are:
- High-fidelity tools and user-tailored information that facilitate targeted, neighborhoodscale decisions to mitigate risks more cost-effectively and ensure post-event operability. These facilitate the prioritization of retrofitting of vulnerable infrastructure;
- Information to guide local land-use and response planning to minimize development in likely hazardous zones;
- New tools to assess the potential for cascading hazards, such as landslides, tsunamis, coastal changes, and flooding caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions;
- Geospatial models of permanent, widespread land- and sea-level changes that may occur in the immediate aftermath of great (M≥8.0) subduction zone earthquakes;
- Strong partnerships between scientists and public safety providers for effective decision making during periods of elevated hazard and risk;
- Accurate forecasts of far-reaching hazards (for example, ash clouds, tsunamis) to avert catastrophes and unnecessary disruptions in air and sea transportation;
- Aftershock forecasts to guide decisions about when and where to re-enter, repair, or rebuild buildings and infrastructure, for all types of subduction zone earthquakes.
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