F7. Modelling natural hazards

Severe events associated with natural hazards, such as floods, strong winds, hail and bushfire, can significantly disrupt lives and communities, causing casualties, property damage and financial loss. By analyzing past damaging events we can improve our understanding of how natural hazards impact on our lives, and we can contribute to the development of new ways of increasing community resilience to such events. Scientists working on the development of computational tools to help understand the potential impacts and risk from natural hazards are encouraged to submit abstracts to this session.

Many types of observations at many locations around the world indicate that average global temperatures are increasing, and it is likely that this warming will alter the relatively stable patterns of circulation in our atmosphere. This may result in greater vulnerability to some natural hazards, for example sea-level rise and bushfires, simply because the population and natural environment have not evolved to adapt to the changes. It has also been suggested that, with an increase in the average global temperature, both the number and intensity of storms will increase in some regions of the world.

This session will focus on the use of mathematical processes to model natural hazards and their impacts. An area of particular importance for this session is the modelling of the impact of climate change on natural hazards. Papers addressing the modelling of natural hazards under current and future climatic conditions are welcome. In particular we welcome papers on:

  1. Techniques to model extremes in natural phenomena
  2. Modelling the impact of natural hazards on both the built and natural environments
  3. Integration of hazard and impact (risk) analysis
  4. Validation of simulated hazard results
  5. Techniques to utilise climate simulation for practical applications in natural hazard science in light of a rapidly growing global population. (e.g. with reference to resilient communities, water supply, food production, species extinction, etc)