• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.59-69
• /
• 2021

Historical records of earthquakes are generally used as a basis to extrapolate the instrumental earthquake catalog in time and space during the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). However, the historical catalogs' input parameters determined through historical descriptions rather than any quantitative measurements are accompanied by considerable uncertainty in PSHA. Therefore, quantitative assessment to verify the historical earthquake parameters is essential for refining the reliability of PSHA. This study presents an approach and its application to constrain reliable ranges of the magnitude and corresponding epicenter of historical earthquakes. First, ranges rather than specific values of ground motion intensities are estimated at multiple locations with distances between each other for selected historical earthquakes by reviewing observed co-seismic natural phenomena, structural damage levels, or felt areas described in their historical records. Based on specific objective criteria, this study selects only one earthquake (July 24, 1643), which is potentially one of the largest historical earthquakes. Then, ground motion simulations are performed for sufficiently broadly distributed epicenters, with a regular grid to prevent one from relying on strong assumptions. Calculated peak ground accelerations and velocities in areas with the historical descriptions on corresponding earthquakes are converted to intensities with an empirical ground motion-intensity conversion equation to compare them with historical descriptions. For the ground motion simulation, ground motion prediction equations and a frequency-wavenumber method are used to consider the effects of possible source mechanisms and stress drop. From these quantitative calculations, reliable ranges of epicenters and magnitudes and the trade-off between them are inferred for the earthquake that can conservatively match the upper and lower boundaries of intensity values from historical descriptions.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.83-91
• /
• 2021

Seismic designs for Korean nuclear power plants (NPPs) under earthquakes' design basis are noticed due to the recent earthquake events in Korea and Japan. Japan has developed the technologies and experiences of the NPPs through theoretical research and experimental verification with extensively accumulated measurement data. This paper describes the main features of the design-time history complying with the Japanese seismic design standard. Proper seed motions in the earthquake catalog are used to generate one set of design time histories. A magnitude and epicentral distance specify the amplitude envelope function configuring the shape of the earthquake. Cumulative velocity response spectral values of the design time histories are compared and checked to the target response spectra. Spectral accelerations of the time histories and the multiple-damping target response spectra are also checked to exceed. The generated design time histories are input to the reactor building seismic analyses with fixed-base boundary conditions to calculate the seismic responses. Another set of design time histories is generated to comply with Korean seismic design procedures for NPPs and used for seismic input motions to the same reactor containment building seismic analyses. The responses at the dome apex of the building are compared and analyzed. The generated design time histories will be also applied to subsequent seismic analyses of other Korean standard NPP structures.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2018.05a
• /
• pp.433-433
• /
• 2018

한국은 지진에 대한 관심이 낮았으나, 2016년 09월 12일 경상북도 경주에서 가장 큰 규모인 5.8의 지진이 발생하였으며, 강력한 지진이 발생할 수 있다는 경고가 이어지고 있다. 지진과 관련된 정확한 원인 분석과 정량적인 평가가 체계적으로 이루어지지 않고 있어, 규모와 빈도, 위험지역 분석 등 정밀한 평가와 예방대책을 마련해야 한다. 정량적인 지진 발생 분석을 위해 본 연구에서는 지진 발생과 지하수와 같은 수문기상학적인 인자에 의해 영향을 받는다는 가설을 세우고 지하수의 변동 패턴과 지진의 발생 패턴의 유사점을 추정하였다. 이를 위해 지진자료의 통계적인 특성을 분석하였다. 그리고 지질특성이나 지각 판 운동 외에도 수문순환이 영향을 미치는지 확인하기 위해 육지와 바다에서 발생한 지진으로 구분하여 지진발생횟수와 에너지를 분석하였다. 분석결과, 육지와 바다로 구분했을 때 바다에서 더 많은 지진이 일어났다. 또한 Wilcoxon rank-sum test 비모수 추정기법을 통하여 분석한 결과 서로 다른 성질을 보여 따로 분석하였다. 그 결과, 동해와 남해, 서해와 동해가 같은 성질을 보이는 것으로 분석되었다. 그리고 육지는 8월부터 이듬해 7월까지 지진발생의 한 주기를 이룰 가능성을 보였다. 그러나 바다는 육지와 정반대로 2월부터 7월까지 많은 지진 에너지가 발생하고 있으며, 1월까지는 에너지 수준이 상대적으로 낮은 것으로 분석되었다. 이와 같이 지하수가 육지에서 바다까지 유동하는 시간으로 인해 6개월의 시간지연이 발생하는 것으로 판단된다.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.203-211
• /
• 2018

Issues with past practice in seismic hazard analysis of nuclear power plant sites in Korea are addressed. Brief review on both deterministic and probabilistic methods in seismic hazard analysis is given, and most of the continuing discussion is focussed on the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Causes of uncertainty are traced on the basis of the cases that the assessment methodology was applied to the nuclear power plant sites. Considerations on the assessment include the role of experts, a representative seismic catalog, seismic source zonation, earthquake ground-motion relationship, and evaluation process. Factors increasing uncertainty in each item are analyzed and some feasible solutions are discussed.