Critical infrastructure sectors are becoming increasingly complex and interdependent and so, too, are the physical and socioeconomic landscapes in which they operate. This in turn has increased the possibility of disruptions and subsequent compounding disruptions. Climate change adds an additional layer of uncertainty and disruption to these evolving interconnected networks….
Maureen S. Golan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, researching power grid resilience and effective quantification methods. She has a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Vanuatu). She can be reached at mgolan@utexas.edu.
Oil and gas operations are commonly found in remote locations far from company headquarters. Now, it's possible to monitor pump operations, collate and analyze seismic data, and track employees around the world from almost anywhere. Whether employees are in the office or in the field, the internet and related applications enable a greater multidirectional flow of information – and control – than ever before.