And the impact keeps growing—Geoscientists Without Borders announces its 15th project

Haiti, one of the most impoverished nations in the world, is highly susceptible to strong ground motion as witnessed by the 12 January 2010 Port-au-Prince Earthquake. This earthquake led to catastrophic loss of life with fatalities estimated around 300,000. Today, Haiti remains at risk of future seismic events. The SEG Foundation Board of Directors recently approved a new project in Haiti to join the Geoscientists Without Borders (GWB) ranks. This will be the 15th GWB program, some of which have already been completed.

The new program is a two-year award to the University of Kentucky (UK) Department of Civil Engineering (USA) for a project titled Shear wave velocity measurement and estimation of seismic site response in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Leading the University of Kentucky team is Project Manager Michael Kalinski who first learned of GWB after searching the Internet for humanitarian geosciences. This search led him to the GWB Web site (www.seg.org/gwb).

I worked on a project in Thailand last spring using electrical methods to develop groundwater resources. I felt that I could use my expertise in geophysics and earthquake engineering to help people who needed help but did not have the resources, he said.

For this new project in Haiti, Kalinski will be assisted by Melinda Jean-Louis, a Haitian native and upcoming graduate student at the University of Kentucky.

Using state-of-practice techniques, methods, and field equipment, the team will derive shear-wave velocity profiles and perform seismic site-response analyses to derive ground-motion parameters for structural design; in addition, local engineers associated with Haiti Engineering (an architecture and engineering design group providing pre-disaster planning and post-disaster recovery professional engineering assistance) will be trained. The equipment will be donated to the company at the end of the project.

Additionally, UK team members will provide training of the techniques and methods to local university students and educators, which will broaden the impact of the project. Through this project, the team hopes to enhance Haitian capabilities so that Haiti can be more self-sufficient with respect to seismic site-response analysis and earthquake design—ultimately reducing earthquake-induced loss of life and loss of property in Haiti in the future.

If this project did not happen, then it is likely that the next big earthquake will once again result in catastrophic loss of life, Kalinski said. I don't expect everything to miraculously improve overnight as a result of my efforts, but if my efforts can result in even a slight reduction in earthquake-induced loss of life, then the project will be a success.

Work on the project began in January 2013 and will continue until 30 June 2014. The first step will be to acquire a portable dynamic signal analyzer and geophones, to be donated to Haiti Engineering at the close of the project. Haiti Engineering is an American nonprofit organization with the mission to help rebuild Haiti. Kalinski and his team will visit Haiti in the late spring or early summer of 2013 when they will coordinate with the Haiti Engineering personnel working on the project. They expect to spend 2-4 weeks in Haiti, performing testing and site-response analysis at approximately 8-10 sites as well as providing education seminars to students and professors at the University of Haiti.

Service is important to me, he said. I understand that, given my privilege as a tenured professor, I have a unique opportunity to help others through service, as well as an obligation to represent the United States and the University of Kentucky in a positive manner through my efforts and examples.

Along with the University of Kentucky, project members include Herby Lissade, a founding member of Haiti Engineering; the Samuel Dalembert Foundation; the State University of Haiti; and the Partnership for the Reconstruction of the Church in Haiti (PROCHE).

Haiti Engineering is excited to be working with us on the project. We also have strong support from the Catholic church, which plays an important role in providing medical, educational, and community resources in Haiti, Kalinski said.

This is the third GWB project in the region and highlights the usefulness of geoscience in rebuilding this region and preparing for future events. The other two projects are in Jamaica and Haiti. Since its inception, GWB has changed lives around the world—all while positively impacting the global reputation of geophysics. Each year, the program receives dozens of applications from project managers who want to make a lasting humanitarian impact. Projects must involve university students. GWB is a dynamic program that delivers real results and makes a tremendous difference in improving the quality of life for many people in disadvantaged communities.

The program was established by the SEG Foundation in 2008 with a US $1 million leadership investment from Schlumberger. Additional commitments have since been received from PGS, Santos, Global Geophysical, CGG, Geophysical Pursuit, Kiwi Energy, LLC, and many individual donors.

For more information on the program, including its current projects, please visit www.seg.org/gwb. Geoscientists Without Borders is a registered trademark of the SEG Foundation.

—Natalie Blythe
Communications Specialist
SEG Foundation
April 2013 TLE