DECEMBER 2010
Principals Charles Scawthorn and Keith Porter are both playing leading roles in the development of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM). Porter heads a global consortium for the development of seismic Vulnerability functions for GEM, while Scawthorn heads a global consortium for the development of the theoretical and building classification underpinnings of GEM, termed the GEM Ontology and Taxonomy. Both of these projects were kicked off by Porter and Scawthorn during the GEM Global Components meeting in Singapore 1-3 December. Scawthorn is also coordinating US data collection for the GEM Consequences database project, while Porter is participating in the Data Collection Tools project. For more information about GEM see www.globalquakemodel.org.