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News

15/06/2010

When The Earth Moves: Mega-Earthquakes To Come?

Aon Benfield, the world’s premier reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor, today launches its report ‘When The Earth Moves: Mega-Earthquakes To Come?’ in conjunction with the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre.

25/05/2010

Volcanic Hazard from Iceland: Analysis and Implications of the Eyjafjallajökull Eruption

The explosive eruption on the 14th April 2010 of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland, caused an unprecedented closure of UK, European and North Atlantic air space, which must be understood if similar situations are to be better managed in the future.

19/05/2010

The Waters of the Third Pole

The Waters of the Third Pole: Sources of Threat, Sources of Survival report was launched at the House of Lords on 19 May 2010 in order to heighten awareness of the vital importance of water as both an essential resource and a potential cause of crisis in Asia and elsewhere.

17/05/2010

Bill McGuire advises government on Icelandic eruption

Bill McGuire has been invited to be a member of the Science Advisory Group in Emergencies, who are advising the UK Government during the continuing eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

05/05/2010

L’Aquila anniversary: earthquake highlights construction issues

Following the first anniversary of the L’Aquila earthquake, a new research report from the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre shows how central and southern Italy should prepare for the possibility of larger earthquakes and take steps to reinforce poorly constructed buildings.

04/05/2010

AA7 - Climate forcing of geological & geomorphological hazards

21/04/2010

The fallout from the ash cloud

PhD student Carina Fearnley (Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre) assesses the lessons learned from the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano and the chaos it caused to European air travel.

18/04/2010

A Cloud on the Horizon

The disruption from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano has hidden the success of international warning systems for the approach of hazardous ash clouds.

17/04/2010

A few grounded planes? We got off lightly...

Reposting of Prof. Bill McGuire's article for the the Times Online. Volcanic eruptions over the centuries have caused famine and global cooling.

14/04/2010

Volcanic ash from the Icelandic eruption heads for the UK

A cloud of ash from Iceland’s erupting Eyjafjöll volcano is heading towards the UK, causing major disruption to UK domestic air traffic.

11/04/2010

AA5 - Paper highlights seismic threat to cities

15/12/2009

Extreme precipitation & flooding in NW England & SW Scotland

Severe flooding was experienced over NW England and SW Scotland during the period from 18 – 24 November 2009. The rivers affected were the Derwent, Cocker, Gretna, Eden, Eamont, Nith, and Tweed; and flooded towns included Keswick, Workington, Cockermouth and Dumfries.

21/09/2009

AA6 - European Space Agency funds research on stability of Canary Island volcano

09/09/2009

JLC3: climate change and geological hazards

During mid-September scientists from the UK, Europe and the US gathered together at UCL for an ABUHRC-organised a conference on the theme of Climate Forcing of Geological and geomorphological Hazards.

07/09/2009

'Hazard & Risk Science Review 2009' is launched at Monte Carlo

Annual publication provides a unique digest for the (re)insurance industry of the latest hazard and risk science research.

31/08/2009

UCL Disaster Risk Reduction Conference Announced

By bringing together researchers and practitioners from academia, NGOs and civil authorities, the aim of this meeting is to review definitions of DRR and examine its key components by exploring a number of different perspectives and highlighting linkages between the diverse approaches

26/05/2009

AA4 - How physical & social sciences can combine to improve volcanic risk communication

The paper reviews the state of knowledge with respect to volcanic risk communication, from the perspectives both of the physical volcanologist and the social scientist.

13/05/2009

AA3 – Major new report looks at managing the health effects of climate change

ABUHRC’s Bill McGuire and John Twigg are amongst the authors of a major new report published in the Lancet that addresses managing the health effects of climate change.

11/05/2009

AA2 – New paper sheds light on tornado formation in the UK

The United Kingdom has one of the highest rates of reported tornado occurrence per square kilometre in the world, although these tornadoes are usually weak and short-lived. A not uncommon meteorological phenomena that gives rise to these reports are intense cold fronts which sweep across the country.

03/05/2009

AA1 - New paper: Communication during Volcanic Crises

ABUHRC guidelines for improving communication during volcanic emergencies published

05/04/2009

Climate and Catastrophe Risk

ABUHRC's David Crichton highlights climate change and catastrophe risk at Malta Insurance Rendezvous

10/02/2009

Climate Forcing of Geological and Geomorphological Hazards

The Third Johnston-Lavis Colloquium, on the theme of Climate Forcing of Geological and Geomorphological Hazards, will address relationships between past and contemporary climate change and the triggering of hazardous geological and geomorphological phenomena. The meeting is supported by the UK Met Office, the British Geological Survey, the British Antarctic Survey and UCL and Oxford universities.

05/02/2009

Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre Launches New Website www.abuhrc.org

The Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre (ABUHRC) today launched its new website www.abuhrc.org.

03/02/2009

Turning up the heat on climate and business

22/01/2009

ABUHRC Releases Alert 25 Newsletter

We have a new name. Following the December merger of Aon Re Global and Benfield to form Aon Benfield, we have become the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre.

08/09/2008

'Hazard & Risk Science Review 2008' is launched at Monte Carlo

Annual publication provides a unique digest for the (re)insurance industry of the latest hazard and risk science research.

07/09/2008

TSR Continues to Forecast a Very Active Atlantic Hurricane Season in 2008

Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), the award-winning consortium of experts on insurance, risk management and seasonal climate forecasting led by the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre at University College London, today reiterated its previous forecast that the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season would be very active to a high probability.

05/08/2008

TSR Predicts Very Active 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season

21/05/2008

Nature papers: Evidence for seismogenic fracture of silicic magma

Rosanna Smith and Peter Sammonds from the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre worked with Hugh Tuffen (Lancaster University) to produce a paper on laboratory studies of volcanic earthquakes, published in the 22 May issue of Nature.

11/05/2008

Chinese Embassy visit to Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre

Prompted by the Sichuan earthquake on 12 May 2008, a delegation from the Science & Technology Section of the Chinese Embassy to the UK visited the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre on 21 May 2008.

27/06/2007

10 Year Anniversary: Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre - 28 June 2007

Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre hosted a presentation event at The Old Library, Lloyd’s of London this afternoon to mark its tenth anniversary and to celebrate its accomplishments in natural hazards research and disaster management during the past decade.

22/03/2007

inTERRAgate project launch, Grange City Hotel, London

inTERRAgate held its launch on the 22nd of March 2007 at the Grange City hotel in London. The event was attended by a wide range of industry and research professionals from across the city and the UK.

01/01/2007

UCL report slams government estimates for carbon emission reductions.

In a major new report for the Channel 4 Programme, Dispatches, Professor Mark Maslin, Director of the UCL Environment Institute and member of the BUHRC, and colleagues, show that UK government plans for carbon emissions reductions are doomed to failure.

01/01/2007

Tools for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction: Guidance Notes for Development Organisations

A series of 14 guidance notes for use by development organisations in adapting project appraisal and evaluation tools to mainstream disaster risk reduction into their development work in hazard-prone countries.

12/12/2006

Climate change and its effects on small businesses in the UK

The threat of climate change has taken on a new urgency during the last 12 months following the discovery last December of a 30% reduction in the thermohaline ocean circulation (which drives the Gulf Stream) and increased melting in the Greenland ice cap.

12/12/2006

Climate change and its effects on small businesses in the UK

11/09/2006

Launch of ProVention new website

The ProVention Consortium, a global partnership dedicated to disaster reduction, launches a new website with information on its activities, partners and resources for organisations and practitioners active in disaster risk management.