Seismic Monitoring At Nuclear Power Plant Sites
The ground motion at a nuclear power plant site is monitored continuously to measure the amplitudes of ground motion during earthquakes, which may occur in the site region. The objectives of seismic monitoring are:
To determine if the amplitude of the ground motion at the site reached (or exceeded) the design levels at any moment, following which action (shut down, inspection etc.) may be required.
To measure the responses of some important items to determine the applicability of the various assumptions used in design and analysis, and
To collect data on earthquakes during operation to enable detection of any changes in seismicity or fault activity in the region.
Strong motion instruments and micro earthquake recorders are used to monitor and record the ground motion at the site on a continuous basis.
This page was updated on January 12, 2011