Real-time ground-motion tools for seismic hazard management

在安大略核电厂发生任何重大地震后，需要立即快速获取有关地震地面震动及其潜在影响的信息。 2011年日本东北部发生的9级毁灭性地震以及加拿大东部发生的程度小得多的中等程度区域地震，如2010年渥太华附近发生的5级地震，使公众认识到了这一需要。 核电厂需要能够确定在地震发生后几分钟内核电厂所经历的运动，以便采取适当的步骤来评估情况并确定需要采取什么行动（如果有的话）。 在非常强烈的震动的情况下，工厂将自动关闭。但是，如果出现“感觉到震动”，公用事业公司必须能够确定震动水平与设计基准和电厂容量的比较情况，并评估是否需要停机检查。 避免不必要的停机是很重要的，因为停机、检查和重新启动都要花费数百万美元。 快速获得这些信息也很重要，这样公用事业公司就可以向公众和监管机构提供及时的信息。 在这个项目中，我们利用南部安大略地震台网提供的实时地震数据，由西安大略大学为安大略发电厂（OPG）运营，开发用于地震灾害管理的实时数据工具。 我们将开发基于网络的算法，使OPG能够在任何足以感觉到的区域地震（约M3及以上）发生后几分钟内，获得对达林顿和安大略的皮克林和布鲁斯地震的处理和仪器校正评估。整个安大略南部的震动估计和潜在影响也将被绘制成地图，并通过网络界面提供给其他用户，包括其他企业和应急管理机构。 这些数据产品将被纳入快速分析程序，以帮助管理安大略的地震灾害。

There is a need for rapid access to information on earthquake ground shaking and its potential effects immediately after the occurrence of any significant earthquake that is felt at Ontario's nuclear power plants. This need has been brought to public awareness by the devastating 2011 M9 Tohoku Japan earthquake and, to a much lesser extent, by moderate regional earthquakes in eastern Canada, such as the 2010 M5 earthquake near Ottawa. Nuclear utilities need to be able to determine the motions that a plant has experienced within minutes of the earthquake's occurrence, so that appropriate steps can be taken to assess the situation and determine what action, if any, is required. In the event of very strong shaking the plant would shut down automatically. However, in the event of "felt shaking", the utility must be able to determine how the level of shaking compares to the design basis and capacity of the plant and assess whether a shutdown for inspection is required. It is important to avoid unnecessary shutdowns, because a shutdown, inspection and restart costs millions of dollars. It is also important to have this information quickly so that the utility can provide timely information to the public and regulatory authorities. In this project, we take advantage of the real-time seismographic data provided by the Southern Ontario Seismographic Network, operated for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) by the University of Western Ontario, to develop real-time data tools for earthquake hazard management. We will develop web-based algorithms that allow OPG to obtain processed and instrument-corrected evaluations of the shaking at Pickering, Darlington and Bruce, Ontario within minutes of the occurrence of any regional earthquakes strong enough to be felt (about M3 and greater). Shaking estimates and potential effects throughout southern Ontario will also be mapped and made available via a web interface to inform other users, including other businesses and emergency management agencies. The data products will be integrated into rapid analysis procedures to aid in the management of seismic hazards in Ontario.