HR: 1330h
AN: OS22B-1164    [PDF]
TI: International Centre for Geohazards (ICG) Established at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute in Oslo, Norway.
AU: * Solheim, A
EM: as@ngi.no
AF: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, P.O.Box 3930 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, N-0806 Norway
AU: Nadim, F
EM: fna@ngi.no
AF: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, P.O.Box 3930 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, N-0806 Norway
AB: As one of 13 new `Centres of Excellence' awarded by the Norwegian Research Council with a 10-year funding schedule, the International Centre for Geohazards (ICG) was established at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), in January 2003. The Centre is formed through a co-operation between several institutions, which in addition to NGI are the Gelogical Survey of Norway (NGU), Norwegian Seismic Array (NORSAR), University of Oslo (UiO) and the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NTNU). The Centre is located in the NGI building in Oslo, Norway. Funding is for 10 years, and the centre is staffed by researchers from the partner institutions, visiting scientists, post-doctoral fellows and Ph.D. students. With the ultimate goal of geohazard mitigation and preventing the loss of lives and damage to infrastructure and environment, key research topics of the Centre are: Unsaturated soils and mechanisms for precipitation-induced slides in steep slopes; Risk and vulnerability analysis for geohazards; Earthquake hazard, vulnerability and risk evaluation; Rock slope failures - models and risks; Landslides in soft clay slopes (quick clay), fjord margins and coastal zones; GIS applications to geohazards; SAR applications to geohazards; Slide dynamics and mechanics of disintegration; Tsunami modelling and prediction; and Offshore Geohazards. As prospecting for hydrocarbons move into increasingly deeper waters of the world's continental margins, research on offshore geohazard forms an important activity of the new centre. Main offshore geohazards include slope instability, effects of shallow gas and gas hydrates on the behaviour of seafloor sediments, mud volcanism and diapirism. Of these, slope instability is considered to be the major hazard, because of the potentially serious third party impact. The current offshore geohazards project within ICG consists of three main themes: Assessment of offshore geohazards (site surveys); Geophysical methods for offshore geohazard studies, including improved modelling; and Pore pressures in offshore sediments: prediction and measurements. Education is a highly prioritised task of the Centre, and new courses are being offered at NTNU and UiO. These courses aim at giving graduate level education in geohazards, with thesis work carried out on ICG projects.
UR: http://www.geohazards.no
DE: 3022 Marine sediments--processes and transport
DE: 3025 Marine seismics (0935)
DE: 3045 Seafloor morphology and bottom photography
DE: 6605 Education
DE: 7223 Seismic hazard assessment and prediction
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting