Best Practices in Physics-based Fault Rupture Models for Seismic Hazard Assessment of Nuclear Installations


Book Description

This volume collects several extended articles from the first workshop on Best Practices in Physics-based Fault Rupture Models for Seismic Hazard Assessment of Nuclear Installations (BestPSHANI). Held in 2015, the workshop was organized by the IAEA to disseminate the use of physics-based fault-rupture models for ground motion prediction in seismic hazard assessments (SHA). The book also presents a number of new contributions on topics ranging from the seismological aspects of earthquake cycle simulations for source scaling evaluation, seismic source characterization, source inversion and physics-based ground motion modeling to engineering applications of simulated ground motion for the analysis of seismic response of structures. Further, it includes papers describing current practices for assessing seismic hazard in terms of nuclear safety in low seismicity areas, and proposals for physics-based hazard assessment for critical structures near large earthquakes. The papers validate and verify the models by comparing synthetic results with observed data and empirical models. The book is a valuable resource for scientists, engineers, students and practitioners involved in all aspects of SHA.




Living on an Active Earth


Book Description

The destructive force of earthquakes has stimulated human inquiry since ancient times, yet the scientific study of earthquakes is a surprisingly recent endeavor. Instrumental recordings of earthquakes were not made until the second half of the 19th century, and the primary mechanism for generating seismic waves was not identified until the beginning of the 20th century. From this recent start, a range of laboratory, field, and theoretical investigations have developed into a vigorous new discipline: the science of earthquakes. As a basic science, it provides a comprehensive understanding of earthquake behavior and related phenomena in the Earth and other terrestrial planets. As an applied science, it provides a knowledge base of great practical value for a global society whose infrastructure is built on the Earth's active crust. This book describes the growth and origins of earthquake science and identifies research and data collection efforts that will strengthen the scientific and social contributions of this exciting new discipline.




Building Knowledge for Geohazard Assessment and Management in the Caucasus and other Orogenic Regions


Book Description

This volume is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the state of art of research related to geo-related hazards in the Caucasus and other orogenic regions; it is also devoted to shedding light on a broad array of geological phenomena as well as discussing innovative tools and strategies for geohazard assessment. Additional emphasis is placed on preventive and mitigation measures, which might be helpful in tackling seismic, volcanic and landslide risks affecting major lifelines and infrastructures. The innovative, multidisciplinary methodologies illustrated in this volume may be successfully applied to other orogenic regions across the globe. The book features major scientific contributions from experts working on different Earth Science topics, such as seismology, structural geology, applied geology and volcanology. Its chapters describe a wide gamut of cutting-edge research methodologies and are thus intended to be read and shared by the worldwide Earth Science community. In particular, the readers will have a chance to gain a thorough knowledge of a number of key geological features that can be observed across both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Moreover, the volume provides a thorough description of the techniques employed to assess seismic hazard in major cities - such as microzonation - and an overview of the efforts taken to monitor and prevent seismic and landslide hazard posed to vital energy infrastructures in the Caucasus region.




Statistical Modeling Using Bayesian Latent Gaussian Models


Book Description

This book focuses on the statistical modeling of geophysical and environmental data using Bayesian latent Gaussian models. The structure of these models is described in a thorough introductory chapter, which explains how to construct prior densities for the model parameters, how to infer the parameters using Bayesian computation, and how to use the models to make predictions. The remaining six chapters focus on the application of Bayesian latent Gaussian models to real examples in glaciology, hydrology, engineering seismology, seismology, meteorology and climatology. These examples include: spatial predictions of surface mass balance; the estimation of Antarctica’s contribution to sea-level rise; the estimation of rating curves for the projection of water level to discharge; ground motion models for strong motion; spatial modeling of earthquake magnitudes; weather forecasting based on numerical model forecasts; and extreme value analysis of precipitation on a high-dimensional grid. The book is aimed at graduate students and experts in statistics, geophysics, environmental sciences, engineering, and related fields.




Characterization of Modern and Historical Seismic–Tsunamic Events, and Their Global–Societal Impacts


Book Description

Earthquakes and tsunamis are devastating geohazards with significant societal impacts. Most recent occurrences have shown that their impact on the stability of nations–societies and the world geopolitics is immense, potentially triggering a tipping point for a major downturn in the global economy. This Special Publication presents the most current information on the causes and effects of some of the modern and historical earthquake–tsunami events, and effective practices of risk assessment–disaster management, implemented by various governments, international organizations and intergovernmental agencies. Findings reported here show that the magnitude of human casualties and property loss resulting from earthquakes–tsunamis are highly variable around the globe, and that increased community, national and global resilience is significant to empower societal preparedness for such geohazards. It is clear that all stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, governments, media and world organizations must work together to disseminate accurate, objective and timely information on geohazards, and to develop effective legislation for risk reduction and realistic hazard mitigation–management measures in our globally connected world of today.




Diffuse Seismicity in Seismic Hazard Assessment for Site Evaluation of Nuclear Installations


Book Description

Diffuse seismicity refers to earthquakes occurring in locations where no apparent correlation can be made with any causative faults. This publication provides guidance for addressing the seismic hazard from diffuse seismicity in a manner consistent with internationally recognized practices and with reference to relevant IAEA safety standards.




Treatise on Geophysics: Earthquake seismology


Book Description

The Treatise on geophysics is the only comprehensive, state-of-the-art, and integrated summary of the present state of geophysics. Offering an array of articles from some of the top scientists around the world, this 11-volume work deals with all major parts of solid-Earth geophysics, including a volume on the terrestrial planets and moons in our Solar System. This major reference work will aid researchers, advanced undergrad and graduate students, as well as professionals in cutting-edge research.




National Earthquake Resilience


Book Description

The United States will certainly be subject to damaging earthquakes in the future. Some of these earthquakes will occur in highly populated and vulnerable areas. Coping with moderate earthquakes is not a reliable indicator of preparedness for a major earthquake in a populated area. The recent, disastrous, magnitude-9 earthquake that struck northern Japan demonstrates the threat that earthquakes pose. Moreover, the cascading nature of impacts-the earthquake causing a tsunami, cutting electrical power supplies, and stopping the pumps needed to cool nuclear reactors-demonstrates the potential complexity of an earthquake disaster. Such compound disasters can strike any earthquake-prone populated area. National Earthquake Resilience presents a roadmap for increasing our national resilience to earthquakes. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) is the multi-agency program mandated by Congress to undertake activities to reduce the effects of future earthquakes in the United States. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-the lead NEHRP agency-commissioned the National Research Council (NRC) to develop a roadmap for earthquake hazard and risk reduction in the United States that would be based on the goals and objectives for achieving national earthquake resilience described in the 2008 NEHRP Strategic Plan. National Earthquake Resilience does this by assessing the activities and costs that would be required for the nation to achieve earthquake resilience in 20 years. National Earthquake Resilience interprets resilience broadly to incorporate engineering/science (physical), social/economic (behavioral), and institutional (governing) dimensions. Resilience encompasses both pre-disaster preparedness activities and post-disaster response. In combination, these will enhance the robustness of communities in all earthquake-vulnerable regions of our nation so that they can function adequately following damaging earthquakes. While National Earthquake Resilience is written primarily for the NEHRP, it also speaks to a broader audience of policy makers, earth scientists, and emergency managers.




Ground Motion Simulation Based on Fault Rupture Modelling for Seismic Hazard Assessment in Site Evaluation for Nuclear Installations


Book Description

Explaining the principles that underlie strong ground motion simulation, this publication describes various methods for simulating strong ground motions, and presents some examples of strong ground motion simulations using fault rupture modelling. The detailed guidelines and practical tools presented in this Safety Report will be of value to researchers, operating organizations, regulatory bodies, vendors and technical support organizations in the areas of seismic hazard evaluation of nuclear installations. The information provided will also be of great importance for seismic hazard assessments following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.




Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering for Protection and Development of Environment and Constructions


Book Description

Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering for Protection and Development of Environment and Constructions contains invited, keynote and theme lectures and regular papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (Rome, Italy, 17-20 June 2019. The contributions deal with recent developments and advancements as well as case histories, field monitoring, experimental characterization, physical and analytical modelling, and applications related to the variety of environmental phenomena induced by earthquakes in soils and their effects on engineered systems interacting with them. The book is divided in the sections below: Invited papers Keynote papers Theme lectures Special Session on Large Scale Testing Special Session on Liquefact Projects Special Session on Lessons learned from recent earthquakes Special Session on the Central Italy earthquake Regular papers Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering for Protection and Development of Environment and Constructions provides a significant up-to-date collection of recent experiences and developments, and aims at engineers, geologists and seismologists, consultants, public and private contractors, local national and international authorities, and to all those involved in research and practice related to Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering.