Key topics and future perspectives in natural hazards research

Abstract

Since early 2018 the “Natural Hazards” Section of Geosciences journal has aimed to publish pure, experimental, or applied research that is focused on advancing methodologies, technologies, expertise, and capabilities to detect, characterize, monitor, and model natural hazards and assess their associated risks. This stream of geoscientific research has reached a high degree of specialization and represents a multi-disciplinary research realm. To inaugurate this section, the Special Issue “Key Topics and Future Perspectives in Natural Hazards Research” was launched. After a year and half since the call for papers was initially opened, the special issue is now completed with the editorial introducing the collection of 10 selected papers covering the following hot topics of natural hazards research: (i) trends in publications and research directions at international level; (ii) the role of Big Data in natural disaster management; (iii) assessment of seismic risk through the understanding and quantification of its three components (i.e., hazard, vulnerability and exposure/impact); (iv) climatic/hydro-meteorological hazards (i.e., drought, hurricanes); and (v) scientific analysis of past incidents and disaster forensics (i.e., the Oroville Dam 2017 spillway incident). The present editorial provides a summary of each paper of the collection within the current context of scientific research on natural hazards, pointing out the salient results and key messages.