Role of Young Scientists in the Emergency Response and Scientific Investigation Related to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake: Performance Evaluation and Discussion on the Implications to Seismological Education and Training

The Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake is one of the largest inland earthquakes in continental China in the last 30 years. Over twenty thousand aftershocks were detected and aftershocks are still occurring along the Longmenshan thrust fault. Facing challenge of such large earthquakes, it is a new problem for our education, training and human resource management about how to respond quickly and arrange effectively to reduce the earthquake disasters and carry out relative researches. For such an earthquake, the Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration (IGPCEA) organized a series of investigation immediately after the quake. The researches include application in seismology, geomagnetism, seismotectonics, engineering seismology, earthquake engineering and socio-seismology. In the third day after the earthquake, many young scientists involved in the deployment of mobile seismic stations to record aftershock sequence. Up to now, 79 experts of our institute have been arranged to go to the meizoseismal region for monitoring and investigation. Among them, over 40 young scientists are no more than 40 years old, including many graduates. Less than 36 hours after the Wenchuan earthquake, 17 quick reports have been sent to China Earthquake Administration for the consultation of the emergency response. These researches dealt with a wide-band of topics from earthquake location, focal mechanism, rupture processes to suggestion on the rescue actions. According to experiences and lessons of the field works in the Wenchuan earthquake, it is deserved for us to think how to arrange theoretical courses and practical training more practical for young graduates and scientists to meet the demands of the reduction of earthquake disasters. Key words: Wenchuan earthquake; Longmenshan fault; young scientists; education and training