Ecology

Data on Environmental Earth Science Discussed by Researchers at Lomonosov Moscow State University

  2012 AUG 24 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- Investigators publish new report on Environmental Earth Science. According to news reporting out of Moscow, Russia, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, "Despite the long tradition of technical mitigation on a catchment scale in European mountain regions, losses due to mountain hazards are still considerably high in number and monetary loss. Therefore, the concept of technical mitigation had been supplemented by land-use planning and, more recently, local structural protection."

  Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Lomonosov Moscow State University, "Local structural protection includes measures directly implemented at or adjacent to endangered objects, and has proven to be particularly cost-effective with respect to integral risk management strategies. However, the effect of local structural protection in reducing the vulnerability of elements at risk, and the associated consequences with respect to a reduction of structural vulnerability have not been quantified so far. Moreover, there is a particular gap in quantifying the expenditures necessary for local structural protection measures. Therefore, a prototype of residential building adapted to mountain hazards is presented in this study. This prototype is equipped with various constructional elements to resist the incurring impact forces, i.e., of fluvial sediment transport and of snow avalanches. According to possible design loads emerging from these hazard processes, the constructive design necessary is presented, and the amount of additional costs required for such an adaptation is presented."

  According to the news editors, the researchers concluded: "By comparing these costs with quantitative loss data it is shown that adapted building design is particularly effective to reduce the consequences of low-magnitude, high-frequency events in mountain regions."

  For more information on this research see: Mountain hazards: reducing vulnerability by adapted building design. Environmental Earth Sciences, 2012;66(7):1853-1870. Environmental Earth Sciences can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Environmental Earth Sciences - www.springerlink.com/content/1866-6280/)

  Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. Holub, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Fac Geog, Res Lab Snow Avalanches & Debris Flows, Moscow 119991, Russia.

  Keywords for this news article include: Moscow, Russia, Eurasia, Environmental Earth Science

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