• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2016

This work investigates whether stress changes induced by an earthquake can be estimated using the deformation measured by high-resolution borehole strainmeters. We estimate the changes in the orientation and magnitude of the principal compression stresses using borehole strainmeter data recorded before and after the M7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake on April 4, 2010. Clear differences in the stress orientations and magnitudes are apparent before and after the event. The change in stress orientation appears related to subtle increases of stress in the tectonic maximum principal orientation, which is in agreement with the earthquake focal mechanism solution. The sudden stress drop at the onset of the earthquake was 10⁻³-10⁻² MPa in the principal orientations. The Coulomb stress transfer model, which can estimate stress transfer, predicts a shear stress increase of (0.1-0.6) × 10⁻² MPa at the strainmeter site, which is in line with the measured data (0.3-0.8) × 10⁻² MPa. Overall, our results suggest that borehole strainmeter data reflect the subtle stress changes associated with earthquake occurrence, and that such data can be utilized for earthquake-related research.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.185-201
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• 2018

Nuclear power plants(NPP) are constructed and operated to ensure safety against natural disasters and man-made disasters in all processes including site selection, site survey, design, construction, and operation. This paper will introduce a series of efforts conducted in Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., to assure the safety of nuclear power plant against earthquakes and other natural hazards. In particular, the present status of the earthquake, fault, and slope safety monitoring system for nuclear power plants is introduced. A earthquake observatory network for the NPP sites has been built up for nuclear safety and providing adequate seismic design standards for NPP sites by monitoring seismicity in and around NPPs since 1999. The Eupcheon Fault Monitoring System, composed of a strainmeter, seismometer, creepmeter, Global Positioning System, and groundwater meter, was installed to assess the safety of the Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant against earthquakes by monitoring the short- and long-term behavioral characteristics of the Eupcheon fault. Through the analysis of measured data, it was verified that the Eupcheon fault is a relatively stable fault that is not affected by earthquakes occurring around the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. In addition, it was confirmed that the fault monitoring system could be very useful for seismic safety analysis and earthquake prediction study on the fault. K-SLOPE System for systematic slope monitoring was successfully developed for monitoring of the slope at nuclear power plants. Several kinds of monitoring devices including an inclinometer, tiltmeter, tension-wire, and precipitation gauge were installed on the NPP slope. A macro deformation analysis using terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) was performed for overall slope deformation evaluation.