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ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL GROUPS

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china

By Shengwen Qi

In China, IAEG is well represented by China national group of the IAEG, which all the time lays emphasize on the importance of the high level forum and annual meeting and is honored as one of most active science organization. By now member number of the China national group has been up to 323 and more and more young scientists are rushing to the group. As usual, the group sees the cooperation and communication as its belief and has held series of academic activities in 2011. Among them, there were very important two high-level forums and one annual meeting respectively held in 2011.

On April 16^th 2011the Third High-level Forum of Engineering Geology was held in Luoyang, Henan Province, which had more than 50 elites from all over the country, with the theme “Challenges and Strategies about China Engineering Geology Discipline”. Around the theme, there were 18 specialists lecturing including Academician Sijing Wang, Prof. Runqiu Huang (IAEG vice president), Prof. Yuepin Yin and Prof. Huiming Tang respectively made comprehensive presentations. Moreover, Prof. Juhua Xiong of National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC) was invited to introduce the situation about the application for the national natural science fund. It can be seen from the reports and discussion of the conference that the discipline of engineering geology in China made a great success. However, there are also some problems that need to be summarized systematically and to be further considered. It is of great significance to hold the High-level forum for knowing the current situation of the discipline and guiding its improvement.

Following, the Fourth High-level Forum of Engineering Geology was held in Tianjin new coastal district on July 16^th 2011. The theme of the conference is “Combination and Applications between Internet of Things (IOT) and Engineering Geology”, aiming to discuss and promote the applications and improvement of high technologies i.e. as IOT in geological hazards monitoring and forecasting. The forum was advocated by NSFC, sponsored by Committee of Engineering Geology of China and undertaken by Institute of Tianjin IOT Application Technology. More than 50 specialists including Prof. Faquan Wu (SG of IAEG), Prof. Runqiu Huang (IAEG vice president), Prof. Yuepin Yin were invited to the forum. Professor Runqiu Huang first reviewed the achievement of previous three forums, then laid emphasize on the significance of the forum and the application of IOT in engineering geology. Furthermore, experts discussed the basic principle of IOT, analyzed the present situation and its huge loss of geological hazards in China, detailed the great significance of IOT applied in geological hazards monitoring and forecasting, and then highlighted the present situation and challenges about the IOT and engineering geological. During the forum, some IOT high-tech instruments designed by Institute of Tianjin IOT Application Technology were displayed to the specialists. The forum made a great success, which both the sponsor and delegates felt productive and fruitful from the forum and determined to further strengthen the cooperation and to further discuss the advanced subjects applying IOT to the geological hazards.

The Fourth High-level Forum of Engineering Geology held in Tianjin new coastal distirct, July 16^th 2011

With the theme “The Major Engineering Geology Problems of the Reconstruction in the Earthquake Disaster Region”, National Engineering Geology Annual Meeting was successfully held on August 3^rd 2011 in Xining, Qinghai Province. Three huge geohazrads including 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, 2010 Mw6.9 Yushuan earthquake and 2010.8.7. tremendous debirs flow not only brought about great social and economic impact, but also series of professional problems i.e. geohazards identification, mitigation, emergency measures and residence reconstruction. Xining locates at the north margin of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and faces high risks of geohazards especially earthquake, landslide and debris flow. Therefore, it is great important to organize the conference in Xining.

The conference was a grand meeting in recent years and there were more than 170 papers contributed and more than 450 delegates attended. The local government also laid emphasis on the meeting and lots of formal media reported it. It should be stressed that the meeting, underlined the foundation role of geology theory in engineering geology, and appealed engineering geology seek root in geology to refresh theory of engineering geology. Geology subjects i.e. tectonics, petrology should be strengthened, not verse. China well-known scholar of tectonics, academician Guowei Zhang from Northwest University was specially invited to introduce the research progress about mainland structure and dynamics. Prof. Peizhen Zhang from IGCEA was also specially invited to introduce the geological structure patterns of activities structure and strong earthquakes.

Meanwhile, the meeting emphasized the importance of the young scientists, and set up special academic reports for young scientists. 17 talented young scientists were chosen and gave keynote lectures respectively, and Young scientists begun to play leading parts in the meeting, which is beneficial for the young scientists’ growth and the team construction of the engineering geology discipline.

In this meeting there were six parallel sessions with 74 specialists lectures, including prevention of geohazards in earthquake damaged areas, mechanism of geohazards in west mountainous areas and measures mitigation urban geological disasters, geohazrads in three gorges reservoir area, geohazards in the loess plateau, special soil engineering geology and engineering geology theory and technology.

In brief there are five features in the meeting as follows. First, young talents enthusiastically rushed to join in the meeting and actively exchanged academic ideas. Second, the meeting contents kept close track of national key engineering construction. Third, the meeting contents laid emphasis on the study of basic theory of engineering geology. Fourth, the meeting contents strengthened the consideration and construction of the engineering geology. Fifth, the meeting contents laid emphasis on the cultivation of the rigorous style of study and credibility.

2011 annual national conference of Chinese Engineering Geology Committee held in Xining, August 3^rd -6^th 2011

Prof. Huang Runqiu gave key note speech in the conference