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Science Communication During an Actively Unfolding Disaster

Description: 

The communication of science in the minutes, hours and days after a major earthquake disaster is an important part of emergency mangement and public safety. The earthquakes that affected Türkiye and Syria in February 2023 brought this into focus. There was an massive demand from the public and the media for information to better understand what was happening.

People in the affected region and around the world want to understand how and why things are happening during crisis situations, so communicating the facts around the science of earthquakes is important. Additionally, we need to understand what is the relevant science that needs to be communicated, and be aware of the tone and framing that we use to deliver that information, and how it could be interpreted.

In this talk, I will give an overview of the communication successes and pitfalls surrounding the earthquakes in Türkiye, discuss why empathy is important during crisis communication, and outline some lessons learned from these events.

Session: February 2023 Mw 7.8 Earthquake Sequence in Turkey

Type: Oral

Date: 4/19/2023

Presentation Time: 05:30 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Adam Pascale

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors