Observations from the EEFIT-TDMRC Mission to Sulawesi, Indonesia to Investigate the 28th September 2018 Central Sulawesi Earthquake

On the 28th September 2018 at 17:02 local time, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 Mw hit Indonesia, with epicentre located 78km north of the city of Palu on Sulawesi Island. The earthquake ground shaking triggered four substantial landslides and several instances of liquefaction and land subsidence. Furthermore, a localised tsunami was triggered in Palu Bay, likely due to subsea landsliding. These hazards caused damage to over 70,000 properties and the deaths of at least 4,438 people. The UK Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) and Indonesian Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Centre (TDMRC) conducted a joint reconnaissance mission to areas affected by the earthquake. This paper presents their main findings regarding these multiple hazards and their impacts on the built environment

The role of engineering geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Engineering Geology has an important role to play in sustainable development. This is due to the unique perspective that Engineering Geologists have of the interfaces between: science and engineering; the natural and built environments; the past, present and future. This paper examines the role of Engineering Geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and demonstrates that there is a strong link between the knowledge, skills and activities of Engineering Geologists and the delivery of all 17 goals. The study includes a detailed evaluation of all 169 SDG targets and highlights the key impact areas where Engineering Geologists already contribute to sustainable development, as well as identifying opportunities for contributions to be strengthened. It is hoped that this paper will empower Engineering Geologists to confidently communicate the value of their role, act responsibly, and exert their influence to drive positive outcomes in terms of sustainable development in everything that they do

Intersectional Impacts of the 2021 Mw 7.2 Nippes, Haiti, Earthquake from Geotechnical and Social Perspectives

The Mw 7.2 Nippes, Haiti, earthquake occurred on 14 August 2021 in Haiti's southwest peninsula and in the midst of significant social, economic, and political crises. A hybrid reconnaissance mission (i.e., combined remote and field investigation) was coordinated to document damage to the built environment after the event. This article evaluates two ground-motion records available in Haiti in the context of the geology of the region and known areas with significant damage, such as Les Cayes. We also present a new map of time-averaged shear-wave velocity values to 30 m depth (VS30) for Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince based on the geostatistical approach of kriging and accounting for region -spe-cific geology proxies and field measurements of VS30. Case studies of ground failure obser-vations, including landslides and liquefaction triggering, are described as well as the intersection of social and engineering observations. Maps depicting this important inter-section are provided to facilitate the assessment of how natural hazards and social con-flicts have influenced the vulnerability of Haiti's population to earthquakes