Project Title: ANSS Planning for Central and Southeast U.S.

Principal Investigator: Mitch Withers

Institution: The University of Memphis

Co-Principal Investigators: TBN

Institution: TBN

Project Monitor: TBN

Project Scope: This project will develop a systems engineered plan for implementation of the Advanced National Seismic Research and Monitoring System (ANSS) for the Central and Southeast U.S. region.

Project Summary: The ANSS is a National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) initiative to employ modern technology and methods to improve the understanding of earthquake hazards, better plan disaster resistant communities, and improve the knowledge base needed to design building codes intelligently, deploy emergency services strategically, and inform the public rapidly. This project will adapt USGS circular 1188 to the needs, customers, products, and goals, of the Central and Southeast U.S. The focus will be in developing a system that best meets these needs and is sufficiently flexible to adapt to rapidly changing technology, knowledge, and users. We will provide close coordination with the national planning council to assure establishment of and mechanisms for continued compliance with performance standards, quality control measures, and inter-regional integration.

Milestones and Deliverables:

2nd Quarter, 2000: Core committee meets to develop basic plan

3rd Quarter, 2000: Electronically publish plan and request for comments

October, 2000: CEUS ANSS Request for Comments Workshop at annual ES-SSA at Georgia Tech.

October, 2000: Core committee meets to finalize draft plan.

November/December, 2000: MAEC review of plan.

January, 2001: Final management mechanism implemented, plan published.

Implementation Potential: The implementation potential for this project is high. The development must be engineered such that long-term viability of the system is assured. Successful implementation of the Advanced National Seismic System depends on successful completion of the project.

Collaboration Potential: The viability of the plan developed by this project relies on a multidisciplinary approach that includes system engineering, weak- and strong-motion seismology, structural engineering, seismic hazard evaluation, data management, software and hardware engineering, and public and private sector policy planning.

Research Plan: A core committee small enough to maximize productivity, yet large enough to incorporate core disciplines, will be formed to establish the needs and the basic structure of the plan. Possible disciplines include weak-motion and free-field strong-motion network operations, urban strong-motion network operations, seismic hazard, and systems engineering. The results of this group will be presented to the community for comment and appropriate areas of institutional expertise will be identified. The plan will be adjusted based on community comments and presented to the national committee. Close collaboration with the national committee and other regional committees will be maintained throughout.