Thread: AGU session: Communicating science during a natural hazard crisis

Please consider submitting to our special AGU session on communicating science during a hazard crisis. We encourage submissions from scientists, communications experts, media
professionals, and those on the receiving end who are required to make rapid decisions at such times.

** Please note that a submission to this special session will NOT preclude an additional submission to another session elsewhere in the program. **

PA008: Communicating Science During a Natural Hazard Crisis

Description: A natural hazard crisis requires the communication of
scientific information rapidly, clearly, usefully, and to diverse
audiences. How can scientists, who typically work and communicate at a
more deliberate pace, convey information when time is short and lives
are on the line? What can be done for communities or a country
anxiously seeking more information, forecasts, and, perhaps, a bit of
comfort? This session explores what happens when scientists and
communicators must convey their limited knowledge on emerging
phenomena to the public, policy makers, and an array of stakeholders.
Session themes include: (1) Scientists as media and public
spokespeople; (2) Communication strategies for joint responses by
scientists and communication practitioners; (3) The psychological
function of scientific information in times of crises; (4)
Communication research that focuses on these problems. Our focus is on
geological hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami and
landslides, but papers on meteorological hazards are also welcome.

Conveners: Michael Blanpied (USGS), Sara McBride (USGS), Lucile Jones
(Caltech), and Kelvin Berryman (GNS Science).

Confirmed invited speakers include Drs. Tim and Deanna Selnow (Univ.
of Central Florida).

Session/submission link:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm17/preliminaryview.cgi/Session27047

Feel free to contact any of the conveners if you have questions about this session. Please note the submission deadline of August 2.

Dr. Michael L. Blanpied <mblanpied<at>usgs.gov>, USGS Earthquake Hazards Program