Norman Abrahamson exemplifies AGU’s goal of providing science for solutions to societal problems. Throughout his career at Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley and Davis, he has made fundamental advances in developing models of earthquake ground shaking and incorporating the results in seismic hazard analyses used worldwide. He is one of the world’s leading engineering seismologists whose research has yielded critical new results about a fundamental scientific question: how to better forecast shaking from future earthquakes, with major implications for mitigating hazards to people and property. Seismologists say that “earthquakes don’t kill people—buildings kill people.” Engineering seismology (also termed seismic engineering) links academic seismology, which focuses on the processes of earthquakes, and earthquake engineering, which designs structures to survive earthquakes. Norm seamlessly bridges the two disciplines, each with different methods and cultures, by mastering both. He has both made advances in earthquake science and moved them from research to practice, illustrating beautifully how basic science can address crucial societal needs.

He displays exceptional creativity and understanding of earthquakes, their consequences, and people in solving problems. He has developed sophisticated physical and statistical models predicting ground shaking from earthquakes so buildings can be designed to survive it. His models are used by government agencies in the United States and worldwide to develop hazard maps predicting future shaking that are used in developing national codes for earthquake-resistant construction. They are also used, by himself and others, in designing “lifeline” critical facilities that must survive major earthquakes, including hospitals, bridges, power plants, dams, water and gas pipelines, electric substations, and other major buildings.

Norm is also a leader in putting seismological results to work in forecasting seismic hazard, the probability that a certain level of shaking will be exceeded at a certain place in a certain time. This involves combining seismological results with sophisticated probabilistic, statistical, economic, and public policy considerations. The stakes are enormous, involving billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives. Underpredicting the hazard may cost lives, whereas overpredicting the hazard diverts resources that could be better used for other societal needs. His deep insights into how to better forecast hazard have been adopted worldwide and dramatically improved the results. Simultaneously, he has compiled an outstanding record as a teacher and adviser, training and mentoring young earthquake hazard engineers and scientists.

—Seth Stein, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

It is an honor to receive the 2023 Gilbert F. White Award and Distinguished Lecture from AGU recognizing my contributions to the basic knowledge of natural hazards and risk. My educational background is in seismology, but I have spent my career as an engineering seismologist working in the interface between earthquake seismology and civil engineering, taking advances from seismology research and simplifying them so they can be used in civil engineering applications while still maintaining the basic behaviors from earthquake physics. I want to acknowledge the critical influence of four leaders in the field of seismic hazard on my early career in engineering seismology: Bruce Bolt, Allin Cornell, Clarence Allen, and Lloyd Cluff. These four taught me how to work in the interface between earthquake science and engineering and how to communicate with engineers and owners. They also convinced owners to allow trial applications of the new earthquake science research on their projects. Showing successful implementation for real-world applications is a critical step for moving seismology research to engineering practice. I remain grateful for the support they provided to me throughout my career. I want to thank Seth Stein not for only for nominating me for this award, but also for allowing me to participate in his group’s evaluation of probabilistic seismic hazard maps that are widely used to set design ground motions around the world. Over the last decade, Seth’s group at Northwestern University was one of the few university-based seismology groups in the United States actively working on evaluating seismic hazard, bringing much-needed critical review of methodology. As we began to collaborate, we were able to combine my experience with seismic hazard analysis with Seth’s group’s seismological approach to quantitative evaluations of the performance of seismic hazard maps using historical macroseismic intensity observations. We identified a significant bias in the standard methods used for converting between macroseismic intensity and ground motion amplitude that has existed for over 80 years and has been used worldwide. This success highlights the value of bringing together seismic hazard experts and seismologists to advance earthquake safety in terms of the protection of people, property, and the environment in a cost-effective manner. I thank Seth and his students for their willingness to allow me to be part of their research and bring more seismological focus to seismic hazard analysis. —Norman Abrahamson, University of California, Berkeley