ASC Activities
..........................by Zhu Chuanzhen, ASC President

Creation of Asian Seismological Commission (ASC)

It is well known that Asia is a region of not only the most intense seismicity but also suffering serious earthquake disasters in the world. It is reported that about 830,000 people in Asia have been killed by earthquakes since the turn of the 20th Century, comprising 75% of the global figure total. The economic losses caused by earthquake in Asia made up 68% of the global losses. The latest earthquake disaster in Asia is very serious also, such as the Kobe earthquake (M=7.2) occurred on Jan. 17, 1995 in Japan, caused more then 5000 people death and about 20 billion USD economic losses, the 2000 Taiwan earthquake, China with 6000 victims, the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, India with 17000 victims. The earthquake vulnerability will increase more significantly with the rapid growth of economy and acceleration of social urbanization in Asian Countries. On the other hand, the genesis, preparation and occurrence of earthquake have the regional characters and the hazards related as well.

Considering the facts that most countries in Asia are developing countries with limited economic power and research activities, it is essential to unite all the efforts from various Asian countries to cooperate in the seismological field of common interests and to realize the idea of earthquake disaster reduction.

In accordance with UN's IDNDR Project and for the purpose of promoting scientific exchange, cooperation in joint projects, upgrading of seismological research and strengthening of measures to mitigate earthquake disasters, the Seismological Society of China under the auspices of the State Seismological Bureau of China, took the initiative to form ASC in early 1993. Then, a proposal for forming ASC was discussed in Tottori, Japan on October 30, 1993 during The Conference of Seismology in East Asia. Delegates from 9 countries in East and South-East Asia attended the meeting. It's lead to set up the Feasibility Study Committee (FSC) for ASC, in order to make further communication with more countries in Asia, to get their views on the formation of ASC. Most Asian Countries including India, S. Korea, Iran, Vietnam, Mongolia, Philippines, Tajikstan, Kazarkstan, Malaysia, Turkey, Israel and Armenia show very active attitude and interest in forming ASC, for example, in the letter from Armenia, President of National Survey of Seismic Protection Dr. S. Balassaniansaid "I would like to tell you that the idea of ASC creation suggested by Seismological Society of China is eagerly encouraged by the NSSP under government of Armenia. Armenia is the country that suffered the Spitak tragedy of the Dec.1988. So it is strongly interested in actively participating in the ASC."

Under this condition, A letter sent to the President of IASPEI, Prof. Nikolaev in December 1993 to request for set up ASC Within IASPEI. The response from IASPEI was very encouraging. The Executive Committee of IASPEI held meeting in Wellington on January 13, 1994 during the 27th General Assembly of IASPEI. As a guest Prof. Zhu attended this meeting, and gave a report on the issue of ASC. In the meeting, Prof. Kennett supported the concept of the ASC, suggesting that Commission broaden its scope beyond that of continental Asia so as to include Southeast Pacific nations. This suggestion was supported by other members of the Committee to help in improving North-South as well as East-West dialogue. Prof. Froidevaux, President of IASPEI, suggested organizing a regional meeting in China to get the ASC started. An IASPEI Regional Assembly could be in China in 1996 to international participation. This idea was supported by the Committee. The Executive Committee unanimously agreed to draft an Assembly Resolution as follows:

Noting the very large population and earthquake hazard in Asia and need to improve cooperation between Asian and Pacific nations. IASPEI endorses the formation of an Asian Seismological Commission to promote academic exchange, cooperation, upgrading of seismological research and strengthening measures to mitigate disasters.

In order to carry out IASPEI's Resolution, especially to start the preparation work of the IASPEI Regional Assembly in 1996 as early as possible, it is stimulated by Dr.E.R.Engdahl (Secretary-General of IASPEI) pointing out that ASC must be seen as a viable organization for the Asian community before it can legitimately Sponsor meetings. After consulting some members of the FSC for the ASC as well as to contact with Dr. Engdahl, it is decided in January 1995 to send the invitation letter to all membership countries of IUGG in Asia and South Pacific region, including India. Pakistan, Vietnam, Malaysia. S. Korea, Myanmar, Syria, Thailand, Philippines, Turkey, Iran, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Australia, New Zealand, among others, inviting them to appoint representatives and to attend the Guangzhou meeting in 1995 for discussing the formation of the ASC and related matters. 14 countries responded favorably to participate in the Guangzhou meeting, among them, 10 countries has appointed the official representative to ASC (besides China). They are India, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, Japan, Iran, Turkey, Israel, S. Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and New-Zealand.

In the Guangzhou Meeting, Dr. Engdahl, Secretary General, IASPEI, briefly reviewed various steps taken in connection with the formation of ASC. Prof. Zhu Chuanzhen informed of the support of the countries in Asia and South Pacific region to the formation of ASC. There was also support from the representatives of various countries to the formation of ASC and for interactionamong the member Countries to mitigate earthquake disaster. After a detailed discussion, draft statutes were prepared for ASC to act upon these Statutes Placed in the IASPEI Bureau meeting in Boulder during July, 1995. Dr. Harsh K. Gupta and Prof. Zhu Chuanzhen were nominated to the positions of Acting President and Acting Secretary General of ASC, respectively. It was decided to hold a IASPEI Regional Assembly in China during August 1-3,1996 just before the International Geological Congress.

It was also proposed that a nominating Committee will be constituted at IASPEI General Assembly at Boulder for nominations to be made and approved during the first General Assembly of ASC/Regional Assembly of IASPEI in China. The Statutes of ASC were adopted at the Council Meeting of ASC in Tangshan, China held on August 2, 1996.

Major activities

The ASC organizes meetings during the IASPEI Assemblies. In addition it held six meetings:

First Meeting of ASC: August 1-3, 1996, Tangshan, China

IASPEI, the Seismological Bureau of China, and the Municipal Government of Tangshan City, China, were the principal sponsors. The Assembly was attended by a total of 278 delegates, 92 of them from outside China representing 29 countries/regions. A comprehensive abstract volume consisting of a total of 280 abstracts was brought out. The scientific topics focused on: Earthquake precursors; Earthquake Hazard Assessment; Data Acquisition and Processing; Active Tectonics and Crustal Movement; Strong Motion Seismology; Earthquake Source Physics; Wave Propagation; Geothermics and Volcanology; Recent Devastating Earthquakes in Asia; Tomographic Imaging; Societal Impact of Impending Earthquakes; Induced Seismicity. Although at its 1995 General Assembly IASPEI had already granted commission statutes to the ASC, it remained necessary to complete this process by taking the steps required to formally establish the Asian Seismological Commission. This was accomplished at the first ASC Council meeting held on 2 August 1996 and Chaired by Dr. E. R. Engdahl, at which statutes for the commission were adopted. Officers elected and a time and venue for the next ASC General Assembly were set. Dr. Engdahl noted that IASPEI is pleased to welcome the ASC to its family of regional commissions and to recognize the newly elected officers:

• President, Dr. Harsh Gupta (India)
• Vice President, Dr. Kazuo Hamada (Japan)
• Dr. Gary Gibson (Australia)
• Secretary-General, Prof. Zhu Chuanzhen (China)
• The Secretariat of ASC located in Beijing, China.

IASPEI especially encourages all Asian and Pacific member nations to actively participate in the new commission. Also a visit to the Tangshan Earthquake Museum ruins of 1976 Tangshan earthquake were organized in the afternoon on 2 August 1996. A report of this meeting has appeared in the EOS Transaction, AGU, Vol.78 No.14, 1997.

Second Meeting of ASC: December 1-3, 1998, Hyderabad, India

The Second Meeting of the Asian Seismological Commission and Symposium on Earthquake Hazard Assessment and Earth's Interior Related Topics (ASC98) was held at the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India, during 1-3 December 1998. There were about 200 participants with 70 participants from outside India from 26 Countries. The event was sponsored by IASPEI, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. Earlier, a pre-meeting international training course on seismic monitoring, data analysis and exchange was organized during 15-30, 1998. The course was attended by 25 trainees from 10 countries. The main topics covered in this course were: basics of seismology and seismometry, data acquisition, observatory practice, data analysis, earthquake source parameters and mechanisms. A series of lectures, practical experiments in the field and plenty of hand-on exercises on computers were held, also, scientific excursion to the epicentral site of the devastating Latur 1993 earthquake which is situated about 250km away from Hyderabad was organized. UNESCO, IDNDR, COSTED, IASPEI, GFZ, DST and INSA sponsored the course.

A detailed report of ASC'98 has appeared in the Committee for Developing Countries, IASPEI Newsletter Vol.8 No.2, December 1998.

Third Meeting of October 10-12, 2000, Tehran, Iran

The Third Meeting of the Asian Seismological Commission and Symposium on Seismology Earthquake Hazard Assessment and Earth's Interior Related Topics (ASC 2000) was held at the Institute of Geoghysics, Tehran University, Iran, during 10-12 October 2000. This meeting was sponsored by ASC, IASPEI, Ministry of Culture and Higher Education of Iran, Committee for Reduction of Natural Disasters in Iran, etc. About 300 abstracts were received, which focused on wide spectrum of research subjects related to Seismology and the Earth's Interior. More then 150 participants from 23 countries attended the meeting. As an implement of IASPEI's training and education program, a pre-symposium International Regional Training course on Seismology and Mitigation of Seismic Disasters was organized by LOC. The new methods to determine the source parameters were discussed and were followed by computer practices. New understanding of seismotectonics, prediction studies, inversion methods and the use of internet facilities, etc. were among the topics that were included in the course. More than 25 trainees from 6 countries attended the course.

The symposium was followed by two technical workshops, which entitled Educating and Public about Earthquake Hazard and risk and Seismic Networks and Site Selection, respectively. Post-Symposium field trip to East Central Iran where eight major earthquakes occurred in the last three decades was organized also. According to the Statutes of ASC, the new-members of ASC Bureau were elected in the Council meeting of ASC at Tehran. They are:

• President: Prof. S. Balassanian (Armenia)
• 1st Vice President: Dr. D. Rhoades (New-Zealand)
• 2nd Vice President: Prof. M. R. Gheitanchi (Iran)
• Secretary-General: Prof. Zhu Chuanzhen (China)

A detailed report of ASC 2000 has appeared in the Committee for Developing Countries, IASPEI Newsletter, Vol.8. No.2,December 2000.

Fourth Meeting of ASC: November 24-26, 2002,Kathmandu, Nepal

Fourth General Assembly of ASC and Symposium on Seismology, Earthquake Hazard Assessment and Risk Management was held from 24-26 November 2002, in Kathmandu, Nepal. About 150 seismologists, geologists, earthquake engineers. civil engineers, disaster managers, etc. from 22 countries participated.

The National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) was the main organizer. The co-organizer was the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Thailand (ADPC) and Sponors were Ministry of Science and Technology (NOST) HMG/Nepal, IASPEI, ASC, and B.P.Koirala India-Nepal Foundation. Dr. Upendra Devkota, Minister For Health and Science and Technology. Nepal, attended the Opening Ceremony, and addressed the participants at the Inauguration. This conference had three parallel sessions broadly classified into Science, Engineering and Implementation of Earthquake Risk Management Actions. A Poster Session and a Shake Table Demonstration also took place. The conference underscored the need to use the science of seismology and geology in reducing the impact of earthquakes for which it was necessary to establish and strengthen dialogue and sharing of knowledge/vision among scientists, earthquake engineers, disaster risk reduction specialists, policy-makers and administrators.

Pre-Symposium Training Course on Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities (EVRC) was held from 18-22 November 2002 by NSET in collaboration with ADPC and the InternationalCenter for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 30 participants from 9 nations attended the training program.

Fifth General Assembly, 18-20 October, 2004, Yerevan, Armenia

At the Council Meeting of ASC, a new Bureau was elected for the period 2004-2008 with the following Members:

• Prof. Zhu Chuanzhen (China) President
• Prof. Sergei Goldin (Russia) First Vice Precident
• Dr. Cao Dinh Trieu (Vietnam) Second Vice President
• Dr. R. K. Chadha (India) Secretary General
• Prof. K. Hirahara (Japan) Member

Two subcommissions were set up by ASC Council Meeting as follows:

1. Commission on Earthquake Prediction
2. Commission on Education and Outreach

It was also decided that 2006 ASC General Assembly will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Sixth General Assembly, Bangkok, Thailand, 7-10 November, 2006

The 6th ASC General Assembly (ASC2006) was hosted by Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), National Earthquake Committee of Thailand (NECT), Engineering Institite of Thailand (EIT) and Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Bangkok, Thailand between 7-10 November, 2006. The open forum addressed the social and economic aspects of earthquake hazard and risk reduction. The huge aspect of human life loss resulting from disasters like 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and the issuing Tsunami were attributed to the inappropriate building codes and poor quality construction in poorer Asian economies. Discussions were initiated on questions relating to preparedness in meeting the force of such disasters and things that are required to be done to improve the preparedness.

7-th General Assembly of ASC & 2008 Tsukuba, Japan with Seismological Society of Japan.

7-th General Assembly of Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) was held from Nov. 24 to 28, 2008, at Tsukuba International Congress Center together with 2008 Fall Meeting of Seismological Society of Japan (SSJ) by the collaboration of ASC and SSJ.

About 820 researchers from about 40 countries and a region have participated in these conferences and about 720 presentations were performed. About 40 ex-participants of IISEE's training courses were found among them. IISEE has contributed ASC2008 holding a pre-symposium training course from Nov. 23 to Nov. 24, 2008 and performing an exhibition of booth. IISEE alumni meeting was held also during the conference period.

Scientific Program

Plenary Session

Conveners: Zhu Chuanzen (China), R.K.Chadha (India), Kunihiko Shimazaki (Japan),Kenji Satake (Japan) and Kazuro Hirahara (Japan)

This session was composed of presentations by invited Keynote Speakers, highlighting the problems and challenges in the following issues:

• Progress in Realtime Seismology
• Megathrust Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Subduction Zone
• Assessment of Long-term Earthquake Occurrence Probability
• Predictive Simulation System for Crustal Activity

Special Session

The program committee decided to propose two late breaking sessions for Wenchuan (Sichuan, China) Earthquake of May 12, 2008 and for the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku (inland, Japan) Earthquake in 2008. Seismological researches and reports on these earthquakes was well received.

E01. Wenchuan (Sichuan, China) Earthquake of May 12, 2008
E02. The Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku (inland, Japan) Earthquake in 2008

Regular Session

A01. Progress in Realtime Seismology
A02. Megathrust Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Subduction Zone
A03. Education, Outreach and Communication in Seismology and Disaster Mitigation
A04. Seismic Instruments and Networks
A05. Seismicity
A06. Crustal Movement
A07. Earthquake Dynamics and Earthquake Source Observations
A08. Earthquake Forecast and Prediction
A09. Electromagnetism and Earthquake Processes
A10. Geochemistry, Groundwater Hydrology related to Earthquakes
A11. Earthquake Ground Motions and Earthquake Disaster
A12. Exploration Geophysics
A13. Seismic Wave Propagation
A14. Computational Seismology
A15. Paleoseismology and Historical Seismology
A16. Tectonics
A17. Non-volcanic and Volcanic Low Frequency Earthquakes
A18. Crustal Structure and Crustal Earthquakes
A19. Earth's Interior: Structure and Dynamics
A20. Seismology: General and Miscellaneous Contribution

Future Programs

Implementation of ASC Pilot Projects on the assessment of seismic risk in Asian-Pacific regions

With the increasing scale of disasters projected for the 21st century by the experts, the ASC should play an important role as a catalyst and coordinator for the earthquake Hazard Assessment and Risk Management Strategy developed and implemented in Asia-Pacific region for prevention of the earthquake hazards impact on population, vital infrastructure and property. By understanding for benefit and safety for the most vulnerable developing countries in Asia and Pacific region, the ASC should undertake practical steps by way of the ASC pilot projects which include the following subjects:

The Steering Committee for the Projects consists of 8 persous.They are:

The potential funding sources include International organizations (UNESCO, UNDP, World Bank etc) as well as regional organizations (ADPC, Asian Band etc) and National Sources (The ASC Member countries). The implementation of the ASC pilot projects will promote the ASC further capacity building through networking and cooperation.

ASC Cooperation plan

Interdisciplinary study on earthquake hazard, risk and strong ground motion plays an important role in the reduction of earthquake disasters. Recent developments in seismological observation and modeling provide this research field with an unprecedented opportunity to bridge seismologists and earthquake engineers. Exchange of technical know-how and experiences regarding to the preparedness and management of earthquake disasters will significantly promote the advancement of engineering seismology. Through mutual discussion and consultation, ASC will cooperate with the IASPEI Commission on Earthquake Hazard, Risk and Strong Ground Mation (SHR) to make joint study on the following topics:

• Evaluation and quantification of earthquake hazard or risk
• Long-term earthquake prediction, statistical seismology

b. ASC-ADPC Collaboration

Recognizing the need to consolidate and intensify mutual collaboration to achieve their shared goals for promoting effective seismic risk assessment and earthquake vulnerability reduction of population and infrastructure, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Asian Seismological commission (ASC) have agreed to cooperate in areas of mutual interest as indicated below:

• Collaboration in organizing training courses, seminars and other capacity building activites aimed at earthquake vulnerability reduction in the Asian region
• Provision of technical support to implementation of earthquake vulnerability reduction programs in high risk cities and provinces of Asian countries
• Regular exchange of appropriate information in subject areas of mutual interest
• Development and collaboration in joint projects in areas related to earthquake preparedness and vulnerability reduction

Concluding Remarks

The activities of ASC so far was given a high appreciation in the report of IASPEI at IUGG Council Meeting in Sapporo, Japan, 2003 during the 23rd General Assembly of IUGG. It has shown that what was started in 1996 has been a very successful and creative activity of IASPEI. It has been particularly helpful in bringing earth scientists from developing countries of Asia together.The Training Courses/Workshops held before/after the ASC General Assembly are extremely benefit to the participants.

However, ASC is relatively young and what was visioned in ASC Statutes in 1996 has not been fully achieved. The sustainable development of ASC needs continuous support from all member countries as well as related international community

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