[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 45548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18645]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey


National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Public Law 106-503, the National Earthquake 
Prediction Evaluation Council (NEPEC) will hold its next meeting at the 
Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The Committee is 
comprised of members from academia, industry, and State government. The 
Committee shall advise the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey 
(USGS) on matters relating to the USGS's participation in the National 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
    At the meeting, the Council will receive briefings and updates on: 
The USGS's strategic plan for operational earthquake forecasting and 
outcomes of a user-needs workshop on that subject held in March 2015; 
on USGS work to calculate the probability of future earthquakes in 
areas of the U.S. subject to induced seismicity; on the estimation of 
aftershock probabilities and on new modeled estimates of earthquake 
likelihood along the Wasatch fault zone by a technical working group; 
and on development of a plan for rapid communication of earthquake 
information in the Cascadia region. The NEPEC will review USGS 
procedures for calculating and communicating aftershock probabilities 
following large earthquakes in areas outside of California and the 
application of these procedures following the M7.8 Gorkha, Nepal 
earthquake of April 2015. The council will also finalize a statement 
for public release summarizing the proper procedures for posing and 
testing earthquake predictions and forecasts.
    Meetings of the National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council 
are open to the public. A draft meeting agenda is available upon 
request from the Executive Secretary on request (contact information 
below). In order to ensure sufficient seating and hand-outs, it is 
requested that visitors pre-register by September 13. Members of the 
public wishing to make a statement to the Council should provide notice 
of that intention by August 26 so that time may be allotted in the 
agenda. A meeting summary will be posted by September 30 to the 
committee Web site: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/aboutus/nepec/.

DATES: September 2, 2015, commencing at 2:00 p.m. in Room 253 in the 
McGuire Building on the SMU campus and adjourning at 6:00 p.m. 
September 3, 2015, Commencing at 9:00 a.m. in Room 220 (Earnst & Young 
Gallery) in the Fincher Building on campus and adjourning at 5:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael Blanpied, U.S. Geological 
Survey, MS 905, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192, 
(703) 648-6696, [email protected].

William Leith,
Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards.
[FR Doc. 2015-18645 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
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