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Could Fukushima Daiichi Be Ground Zero for the Next Big One?
Could Fukushima Daiichi Be Ground Zero for the Next Big One?
By Yoree Koh
The heft from last year’s powerful March 11 earthquake shocked a sleeping fault line close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant back to life, according to a new scientific study. And based on their findings, the scientists who conducted the study warn the battered nuclear power plant should brace itself for another big one.
The new study from the European Geosciences Union, published on Tuesday, cautions that the seismic risk at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has increased because the magnitude 9 earthquake jolted the plates underneath the area into a more precarious position. But that’s not all: The real problem may be the fluids forming as a result of the Pacific plate digging under the adjacent Okhotsk plate. Japan’s northern region lies directly above the Okhotsk plate.
According to the scientists, the fluids threaten to swim up toward fault zones, where they can soak into the brittle crust of the earth along the fault line, reducing friction, pulling the fault lines apart and triggering another large earthquake.
While the epicenter of the March 11 quake occurred about 100 miles away from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the scientists say the next big earth-shaker could be centered much closer. The scientists concluded it would be wise to strengthen the plant’s infrastructure accordingly. The report did not predict when the earthquake will hit, except to say it would be in the “near future.”...
By Yoree Koh
The heft from last year’s powerful March 11 earthquake shocked a sleeping fault line close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant back to life, according to a new scientific study. And based on their findings, the scientists who conducted the study warn the battered nuclear power plant should brace itself for another big one.
The new study from the European Geosciences Union, published on Tuesday, cautions that the seismic risk at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has increased because the magnitude 9 earthquake jolted the plates underneath the area into a more precarious position. But that’s not all: The real problem may be the fluids forming as a result of the Pacific plate digging under the adjacent Okhotsk plate. Japan’s northern region lies directly above the Okhotsk plate.
According to the scientists, the fluids threaten to swim up toward fault zones, where they can soak into the brittle crust of the earth along the fault line, reducing friction, pulling the fault lines apart and triggering another large earthquake.
While the epicenter of the March 11 quake occurred about 100 miles away from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the scientists say the next big earth-shaker could be centered much closer. The scientists concluded it would be wise to strengthen the plant’s infrastructure accordingly. The report did not predict when the earthquake will hit, except to say it would be in the “near future.”...
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/02/15/could-fukushima-daiichi-be-ground-zero-for-the-next-big-one/
1 replies
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Study of Honshu Earthquake Aftershock Raises the Spectre of Future ‘Quakes at Fukushima
Author: Jennifer Young : Posted to Decoded Science on February 16, 2012 at 6:42 am
The Findings of the Iwaki Earthquake Study
Using a technique called seismic tomography, which identifies variations in density of the crust and mantle, the team concluded that the Iwaki earthquake was caused by fluids rising within the fault zone – a mechanism which can, by ‘lubricating’ the fault, cause earthquakes to occur.
Location of the 2011 M7.0 Iwaki aftershock (image by USGS)
These fluids are generated by the process of subduction, in which one of the Earth’s crustal plates is forced downwards below another (the mechanism which generated the M9.0 earthquake). Heating of the subducted crust releases fluids which are forced upwards through fault zones, increasing the risk of earthquakes.
Potential Reactivation of the Fault Zone
Although Professor Zhao confirmed to Decoded Science that the Iwaki earthquake was the only significant aftershock close to Fukushima, it nonetheless raised cause for concern...
Author: Jennifer Young : Posted to Decoded Science on February 16, 2012 at 6:42 am
The Findings of the Iwaki Earthquake Study
Using a technique called seismic tomography, which identifies variations in density of the crust and mantle, the team concluded that the Iwaki earthquake was caused by fluids rising within the fault zone – a mechanism which can, by ‘lubricating’ the fault, cause earthquakes to occur.
Location of the 2011 M7.0 Iwaki aftershock (image by USGS)
These fluids are generated by the process of subduction, in which one of the Earth’s crustal plates is forced downwards below another (the mechanism which generated the M9.0 earthquake). Heating of the subducted crust releases fluids which are forced upwards through fault zones, increasing the risk of earthquakes.
Potential Reactivation of the Fault Zone
Although Professor Zhao confirmed to Decoded Science that the Iwaki earthquake was the only significant aftershock close to Fukushima, it nonetheless raised cause for concern...
http://www.decodedscience.com/study-of-honshu-earthquake-aftershock-raises-the-spectre-of-future-quakes-at-fukushima/10681/2
