WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bob Ryan, chief meteorologist of WRC-TV here, will deliver the keynote address at an all day conference on real time monitoring and warning of natural hazards to be held at the American Geophysical Union on June 30. The forum is the seventh in a year long series sponsored by Public Private Partnership 2000, a cooperative endeavor of government agencies and private sector organizations.
During the day, panels will discuss atmospheric, hydrologic, seismic, and volcanic hazards from the points of view of those who issue warning information and those who must receive it in a timely fashion. They will consider whether existing technology is being used in the best way possible to deliver information in real time, so that communities can reduce casualties and economic losses from such natural hazards as tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Another panel will explore steps to overcome existing barriers to the use of real time data in disaster situations.
The forum is sponsored jointly by the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, and the Incorporated Research Institute for Seismology. PPP 2000 is a joint activity of the federal Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction, consisting of 19 government agencies, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety and other private sector organizations.
Bob Ryan is the author of scientific papers on the electrical structure of tornadoes and the micro-structure of clouds. He is a past president of the American Meteorological Society, the first broadcaster to hold that position, and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Among the participants in the June 30 forum are Jack Kelly, Director of the National Weather Service; Bob Hirsch, chief hydrologist of the U.S. Geological Survey; Edward Miller of the Air Line Pilots Association; and William Michael, Chief of Crisis Management, Walt Disney Pictures and Television.
Editors: The PPP 2000 forum is open for coverage by news media.
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Place: AGU Headquarters, 2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20009.