Volcanic and Tectonic Hazard Assessment for Nuclear Facilities

Geoscientists worldwide are developing and applying methodologies to estimate geologic hazards associated with the siting of nuclear facilities. Understanding such hazards, particularly in the context of the long functional lifetimes of many nuclear facilities, is challenging. This book documents the current state-of-the-art in volcanic and tectonic hazard assessment for proposed nuclear facilities, which must be located in areas where the risks associated with geologic processes are quantifiable and demonstrably low. Specific topics include overviews of volcanic and tectonic processes, the history of the development of hazard assessment methodologies, description of current techniques for characterizing hazards, and development of probabilistic methods for estimating risks. Hazard assessment examples are drawn from around the world. This volume will promote interest and debate about this important topic among researchers and graduates developing methods in geologic hazard assessment, geologists and engineers who assess the safety of nuclear facilities, and regulatory bodies that evaluate such assessments.

Preface; 1. Tectonic events and nuclear facilities N. A. Chapman, H. Tsuchi and K. Kitayama; 2. The nature of tectonic hazards M. Cloos; 3. The nature of volcanism C. B. Connor, R. S. J. Sparks, M. Díez, A. C. M. Volentik and S. C. P. Pearson; 4. Tectonic uplift and subsidence N. Litchfield, Y. Ota and D. Merritts; 5. Glacial isostatic adjustment: implications for glacially induced faulting and nuclear waste repositories B. Lund and J. O. Näslund; 6. Using global positioning system data to assess tectonic hazards L. M. Wallace, J. Beavan, S. Miura and R. McCaffrey; 7. Tectonic setting of volcanic centers in subduction zones: 3D structure of mantle wedge and arc crust Y. Tamura, J. Nakajima, S. Kodaira and A. Hasegawa; 8. Conceptual model for small-volume alkali basalt petrogenesis: implications for volcanic hazards at the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository F. J. Spera and S. J. Fowler; 9. Aspects of volcanic hazard assessment for the Bataan nuclear power plant, Luzon Peninsula, Philippines A. C. M. Volentik, C. B. Connor, L. J. Connor and C. Bonadonna; 10. Multidisciplinary probabilistic tectonic hazard analysis M. Stirling, K. Berryman, L. M. Wallace, N. Litchfield, J. Beavan and W. Smith; 11. Tsunami hazard assessment W. Power and G. Downes; 12. Regional-scale volcanology in support of site-specific investigations H. Kondo; 13. Exploring long-term hazards using a Quaternary volcano database S. H. Mahoney, R. S. J. Sparks, L. J. Connor and C. B. Connor; 14. Estimating spatial density with kernel methods C. B. Connor and L. J. Connor; 15. Cox process models for the estimation of long-term volcanic hazards O. Jaquet and C. Lantuéjoul; 16. Spatial distribution of eruptive centers about the Idaho National Laboratory P. H. Wetmore, S. S. Hughes, L. J. Connor and M. L. Caplinger; 17. Modeling the flow of basaltic magma into subsurface nuclear facilities T. Menand, J. C. Phillips, R. S. J. Sparks and A. W. Woods; 18. Intrusion dynamics for volatile-poor basaltic magma into subsurface nuclear installations A.-M. Lejeune, B. E. Hill, A. W. Woods, R. S. J. Sparks and C. B. Connor; 19. Volcanic risk assessment at Yucca Mountain, NV, USA: integration of geophysics, geology and modeling G. A. Valentine and F. V. Perry; 20. Geological issues in practice: experience in siting US nuclear facilities L. Reiter; 21. Characterizing active tectonic structures for nuclear facilities in Japan D. Inoue; 22. Issues for coastal sites I. G. McKinley and W. R. Alexander; 23. Stable tectonic settings: designing site investigations to establish the tectonic basis for design and safety evaluation of geological repositories in Scandanavia T. McEwen and J. Anderson; 24. The impact of subsidence, uplift and erosion of geological repositories for radioactive wastes I. G. McKinley and N. A. Chapman; 25. Recommendations for assessing volcanic hazards at sites of nuclear installations B. E. Hill, W. P. Aspinall, C. B. Connor, J.-C. Komorowski and S. Nakada; 26. Formal expert assessment in probabilistic seismic and volcanic hazard assessment K. J. Coppersmith, K. E. Jenni, R. C. Perman and R. R. Youngs; Index.

Charles B. Connor is a Professor and Chairman of the Geology Department at the University of South Florida. He has worked on assessment of volcanic hazards at nuclear facilities since 1992, in association with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Nuclear Waste Organization of Japan. These professional activities have included developing the US Nuclear Regulatory scientific program for assessment of volcanic hazards at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, chairing of the committee to develop IAEA safety guidance for nuclear power plants, and developing safety guidelines for nuclear installations in Japan. In addition, he served on the US National Research Council commission to review the US Geological Survey volcanic hazards program for the National Academy of Sciences.
Neil A. Chapman is Chairman, ITC School of Underground Waste Storage and Disposal, Switzerland; Research Professor of Environmental Geology, Department of Engineering Materials, University of Sheffield; Programme Director, Arius Association, Switzerland; and an independent consultant. He has worked for more than thirty years on the scientific and strategic issues of the nuclear industry and radioactive wastes, for industrial, governmental and international organisations and agencies worldwide. This has involved participation in many national and international advisory committees, in the management of internationally funded projects and as a visiting expert. He is currently Chairman of the INSITE site investigation overview group for the Swedish regulatory authority, SSM, and a member of the International Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) of the Japanese radioactive waste management organisation (NUMO).
Laura J. Connor is a computational scientist and Research Associate in the Department of Geology at the University of South Florida. Her work has focused on computational methods in geologic hazard assessment and geophysical research, which have highlighted new methods for optimization of volcanic hazard models, uncertainty assessment for volcanic hazard models, and applications in real-time monitoring of geophysical processes. She has authored numerous codes, including the probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment codes currently in use by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Waste Organization of Japan. She is co-editor of Statistics in Volcanology (with H. M. Mader, S. G. Coles and C. B. Connor, 2006).