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<br />coastlines, are becoming increasingly prevalent. This re-
<br />search project will incorporate human manipulations into
<br />an enhanced computer model of large- scale, long -term
<br />coastline change caused by wave - driven sediment trans-
<br />port. Experiments using the coupled human - coastline
<br />model will provide the first examination of how human -
<br />influenced coastlines evolve, and more specifically, how
<br />actions taken at one location are likely to affect other
<br />coastal communities.
<br />Field Surveys of the 2004 Tsunami in the Western In-
<br />dian Ocean. Funding Institution: National Science Foun-
<br />dation, one year. Principal Investigator • Emile A. Okal,
<br />Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 -2150; (847)
<br />491 -3238; e -mail: etnile @earth.nortlzwestet-n.edat.
<br />With this funding, the researcher will conduct a quan-
<br />titative survey of the run -up and inundation of the 2004
<br />Indian Ocean tsunami on the western shores of the Indian
<br />Ocean, specifically along Madagascar and Oman. This
<br />work will complement the work of various international
<br />tsunami teams around the Bay of Bengal, in Somalia, and
<br />on the islands of Reunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues.
<br />Analysis of Transport, Mixing, and Coherent Struc-
<br />tures in Hurricane Intensity. Funding Institution: Na-
<br />tional Science Foundation, four years. Principal Investiga-
<br />tors: Michael Montgomery (Michael Kirby), Colorado
<br />State University, Department of Atmospheric Science, Fort
<br />Collins, CO 80523 -1371; (970) 491 -8355; e -mail: MTM@
<br />chandra. atmos. colostate. edu.
<br />This project studies hurricane dynamics with an em-
<br />phasis on processes that affect the intensity of the tropical
<br />cyclone by mixing in moist air or dry air from different
<br />sources. It is anticipated that the results of this theoretical
<br />work will help in the design of future field experiments,
<br />contribute to a better understanding of the processes re-
<br />sponsible for fluctuations in hurricane intensity, and pro-
<br />vide a basis for better predictions of hurricane intensity.
<br />Integrated Analysis of Robustness in Dynamic Social
<br />Ecological Systems. Funding Institution: National Science
<br />Foundation, three and a half years. Principal Investiga-
<br />tors: John Anderies (Armando Rodriguez, Ann Kinzig,
<br />Marco Janssen, Charles Perrings), Arizona State Univer-
<br />sity, School of Life Sciences, PO Box 874501, Tempe AZ
<br />85287 -4501; (480) 965 -6518; e -mail: marty.anderies@
<br />asu.edu.
<br />Many societies have endured for long periods, suc-
<br />cessfully coping with uncertainty, disturbance, and change
<br />in the environment. Many other societies have failed in
<br />this regard. The core question in this interdisciplinary
<br />project is why some social - ecological systems are more
<br />successful in dealing with disturbances and change in the
<br />environment than others. The investigators hypothesize
<br />that an important factor is a well -known phenomenon in
<br />engineering: a system cannot be robust to all classes of
<br />disturbances. Thus, in developing mechanisms to address
<br />an existing suite of uncertainties and environmental risks,
<br />society necessarily becomes vulnerable to other classes of
<br />disturbances. The research team will employ methods and
<br />insights from applied mathematics, electrical engineering
<br />(control), resource economics, archaeology, and ecology
<br />to develop an integrated approach to study how societies
<br />deal with uncertainty, disturbance, and change.
<br />Citizen Centric Analysis of Anti /Counter - Terrorism
<br />e- Government Services. Funding Institution: National
<br />Science Foundation, one year. Principal Investigator: H.
<br />Raghav Rao, University at Buffalo School of Management,
<br />325G Jacobs Management Center, Buffalo, NY 14260;
<br />(716) 645 -3425; e -mail: mgmtrao @acsu.buffalo.edu.
<br />Although a large research effort has been directed
<br />toward improving the internal efficiency and interopera-
<br />bility of anti /counterterrorism (ACT) authorities, only a
<br />handful of studies have looked at citizens as an integral
<br />part of ACT services. This research will look at ACT
<br />services from a citizen- centric perspective and aims to
<br />enhance e- government services that help citizens prepare
<br />and protect themselves from terrorist attacks. By survey-
<br />ing U.S. citizens and subscribers of the Terrorism Re-
<br />search Center, an ACT service provider, the investigator
<br />plans to answer questions related to citizen attitudes about
<br />ACT services, the improvement of citizen -to- government
<br />ACT information flow using e -Gov facilities, preferences
<br />for traditional channels for ACT services versus Internet
<br />ACT capabilities, and preferences for nongovernmental
<br />versus governmental service providers.
<br />NSF Engineering Awards Money
<br />for Katrina Research
<br />The following projects were awarded grants from the Na-
<br />tional Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering in
<br />the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Awards from the Human
<br />and Social Dynamics priority area of the Directorate for
<br />Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences will be an-
<br />nounced in a future Observer. Find out more about these
<br />awards at http://Www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/.
<br />Civil and Mechanical Systems
<br />Assessment of Damage to Industrial Facilities and the
<br />Resultant Environmental Contamination in New Orleans
<br />and the Gulf Coast, $29,990, Rae Zimmerman, New York
<br />University
<br />Assessment of Damage to Underground Tanks in New
<br />Orleans in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, $13,999,
<br />Vijaya Gopu, Tulane University
<br />Collection of Economic Impact Data: Implications for
<br />Disaster Areas and Receiving Regions, $29,881, Jamie
<br />Kruse, East Carolina University
<br />Collection of Perishable Data on Woodframe Residential
<br />Structures in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina, $15,000,
<br />John van de Lindt, Colorado State University
<br />Damage Survey from Hurricane Katrina, $13,266, Ian
<br />Robertson, University of Hawaii
<br />Digital Technology Enhanced Collection of Perishable
<br />Hurricane Damage Data, $28,000, David Frost, Georgia
<br />Institute of Technology
<br />31 Natural Hazards Observer November 2005
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