Recognizing the devastating impacts of significant earthquakes worldwide, such as the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes that resulted in nearly 60,000 fatalities, and other recent deadly events; and acknowledging the critical importance of rapid, coordinated, and interdisciplinary scientific response in the immediate aftermath of major earthquakes to capture perishable data and transient/essential phenomena; the Commission on the Rapid Interdisciplinary Investigation of Significant Earthquakes (RI²SE) provides a platform for coordinated international and interdisciplinary scientific responses. By leveraging expertise across seismology, geodesy, geophysics, geochemistry, geology, and allied fields, and fostering cooperation with other IASPEI commissions, RI²SE facilitates rapid investigation of possible earthquake precursors, rupture dynamics, fault zone properties, and secondary hazards when transient phenomena are most pronounced. The coordinated collection of multi-disciplinary datasets strengthens models of earthquake source physics, wave propagation, and crustal deformation, thereby advancing the integrated understanding of earthquake generation and its cascading societal impacts. The RI²SE commission helps institutionalize such timely investigations within the IASPEI framework, and focuses on but is not limited to the following aspects:
In Symposia in IASPEI Assemblies, we will contribute to the Symposium ‘Recent Significant Earthquakes’ and organize topical issues in the internationally peer-review journals based on the Symposia results. Collaborating with already existing cooperating organizations for Scientific Investigation of Earthquakes in capacity building and networking of the technical teams. Working on the scientific guidelines/standards for the rapid interdisciplinary investigation of significant earthquakes, and the unified catalogue of significant earthquakes. Working on the development of remote sensing engineering seismology and seismology for emergency response. Participating in the meetings of the Association, the Union, and the Regional Commissions, as well as other related meetings, by presentations, exhibitions, advertising, and/or public lectures. Inter-Association and Inter-Union communication and cooperation in the rapid interdisciplinary investigation of significant earthquakes shall be facilitated. All possible collaboration with suitable organizations concerned shall be made.
