The Arctic in general has experienced thousands of earthquakes every year; and Alaska, in particular, has experienced major historical events that have disrupted and severely damaged infrastructure and lifeline networks. Given the accelerating environmental, ecological, and social changes as the Arctic climate warms, including changes in soil properties, it is critical to understand how infrastructure and society respond to seismic events. 

The increasing frequency and impact of seismic events in the Arctic highlight the need for comprehensive planning. Seismic assessments of infrastructure, post-earthquake recovery, and future planning must simultaneously consider natural environment, built infrastructure, and social systems. Resilient infrastructure linked with social systems is crucial to the Arctic, affecting the region’s economic competitiveness, national security, and the safety and well-being of its residents.

In response to these challenges, the First International Workshop on Seismic Resilience of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems identified six climate-sensitive priorities that require focused research and action: 

• Effects of permafrost thawing, changes of soil properties, and soil liquefaction on infrastructure seismic response, 

• Cascading earthquake impacts on infrastructure and natural systems such as seismically induced tsunamis and landslides, 

• The critical role of lifeline infrastructure redundancies under a changing climate across the Arctic, 

• Building resilience capacity in small, local, and Indigenous communities, 

• Distribution of resources across the Arctic, and 

• Access inequality to information. 

Building on these priorities, the Second International Workshop will bring together experts from the United States and around the world to address these challenges. Participants will collectively identify future research needs and develop actionable strategies to enhance seismic resilience in the Arctic, integrating natural, built, and social systems.

The workshop organizing committee is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all. This includes respectful treatment of everyone regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, body size, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, level of experience, political affiliation, as well as any other characteristic protected under state or federal law. If you have observed, experienced, or been provided information about an incident of sexual harassment, and, or sexual violence, discrimination, harassment, retaliation or bias, please report the incident by contacting the Civil Rights and Equity Office (AAEO) at (603) 862-2930 Voice / TTY Users 7-1-1 or submit a report via the Incident Report Form (IRF) available on the website of the Affirmative Action and Equity Office: https://www.unh.edu/community-inclusion/civil-rights-equity-office. Anonymous reports may be submitted with the exception of Mandatory Reporters. 

All participants are required to abide by this Code of Conduct and NSF's anti-harassment policy.