October 10th, 2007 | Lehman College
Geographic Information System (GIS) computer models based on global terrain and population data are effective tools for allocating emergency resources in the aftermath of disasters—and may help prevent further loss of life, according to new research conducted by a faculty member at Lehman College.
Dr. Yuri Gorokhovich of Lehman’s Environmental, Geographic, and Geological Sciences faculty studied how the 2004 tsunami affected the population of Sumatra, one of the islands in Indonesia. He found a high correlation between the population actually affected, as gathered from field data, and that predicted by a GIS model created after the tsunami struck.
He hopes his work will encourage the use of natural hazard modeling to improve disaster management and to develop preventative measures that could help reduce additional deaths.
He will present his research during the 119th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, which will be held in Denver from October 27-31. Approximately 6,300 geoscientists are expected to attend.
Contact: William Sedutto / 718-960-8109