Forward induced seismic hazard assessment: application to a synthetic seismicity catalogue from hydraulic stimulation modelling

The M _w 3.2-induced seismic event in 2006 due to fluid injection at the Basel geothermal site in Switzerland was the starting point for an ongoing discussion in Europe on the potential risk of hydraulic stimulation in general. In particular, further development of mitigation strategies of induced seismic events of economic concern became a hot topic in geosciences and geoengineering. Here, we present a workflow to assess the hazard of induced seismicity in terms of occurrence rate of induced seismic events. The workflow is called Forward Induced Seismic Hazard Assessment (FISHA) as it combines the results of forward hydromechanical-numerical models with methods of time-dependent probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. To exemplify FISHA, we use simulations of four different fluid injection types with various injection parameters, i.e. injection rate, duration and style of injection. The hydromechanical-numerical model applied in this study represents a geothermal reservoir with preexisting fractures where a routine of viscous fluid flow in porous media is implemented from which flow and pressure driven failures of rock matrix and preexisting fractures are simulated, and corresponding seismic moment magnitudes are computed. The resulting synthetic catalogues of induced seismicity, including event location, occurrence time and magnitude, are used to calibrate the magnitude completeness M _c and the parameters a and b of the frequency-magnitude relation. These are used to estimate the time-dependent occurrence rate of induced seismic events for each fluid injection scenario. In contrast to other mitigation strategies that rely on real-time data or already obtained catalogues, we can perform various synthetic experiments with the same initial conditions. Thus, the advantage of FISHA is that it can quantify hazard from numerical experiments and recommend a priori a stimulation type that lowers the occurrence rate of induced seismic events. The FISHA workflow is rather general and not limited to the hydromechanical-numerical model used in this study and can therefore be applied to other fluid injection models.     

Estimation of the minimum food requirement using the respiration rate of medusa of Aurelia aurita in Sihwa Lake

We examined the respiration rate of Aurelia aurita medusae at 20 °C and 28 °C to evaluate minimum metabolic demands of medusae population in Sihwa Lake, Korea during summer. While weight specific respiration rates of medusae were constant and irrespective to the wet weight (8?C220 g), they significantly varied in respect to temperatures (p<0.001, 0.11±0.03 mg C g^?1 of medusa d^?1 at 20°C and 0.28±0.11 mg C g^?1 of medusa d^?1 at 28 °C in average, where Q ₁₀ value was 2.62). The respiration rate of medusae was defined as a function of temperature (T, °C) and body weight (W, g) according to the equation, R=0.13×2.62^(T-20)/10 W ^0.93. Population minimum food requirement (PMFR) was estimated from the respiration rate as 15.06 and 4.86 mg C m^?3 d^?1 in June and July, respectively. During this period, increase in bell diameter and wet weight was not significant (p=1 in the both), suggesting that the estimated PMFR closely represented the actual food consumption in the field. From July to August, medusae grew significantly at 0.052 d-1, thus the amount of food ingested by medusae population in situ was likely to exceed the PMFR (1.27 mg C m^?3 d^?1) during the period. In conclusion, the medusae population of higher density during June and July had limited amount of food, while those of lower in July and August ingested enough food for growth.     

Composition of the phytoplankton pigments in the surface waters along a transect from the Northwestern to the southeastern Pacific Ocean

Multidisciplinary oceanic investigation was undertaken in Aug–Sep. 2003 along a transect from Northwestern (Busan, Korea) to Southeastern Pacific (Talcahuano, Chile) to understand the physical, chemical and biological features in the surface water, and to depict their interaction with the atmosphere. Among the twenty parameters measured, we describe the physical, chemical and biological features. Physico-chemical data were analyzed in conjunction with the geographic position and yielded 7 peculiar surface water masses. The first water mass (28.4°N, 130.8°E to 21.5°N, 139.5°E) was warm and low in phosphate and nitrate content, and high in silicate. The concentration of phytoplankton pigment was one of the lowest. The second (20.4°N, 140.7°E to 2.2°S, 162.9°E) was the warmest and the least saline. Nitrate and phosphate concentration were one of the lowest. Chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration was the lowest among the surface waters. The third (3.4°S, 164.0°E to 14.5°S, 173.3°E) was warm. Nitrate concentration was the lowest. CHL-a, peridinin (Perid), violaxanthin (Viola), zeaxanthin (Zea), chlorophyll-b (Chl b) and β-CAR were abundant. The fourth (18.6°S, 177.5°E to 31.8°S, 123.9°W) was saline and poor in nutrient concentration. The contributions of 19′-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin (But-fuco), 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (Hex-fuco), and CHL b to CHL a were non-negligible. The fifth (32.4°S, 122.1°W to 33.8°S, 117.2°W) was relatively cold and well oxygenated. Concentration of Fuco, But-fuco, Hex-fuco and Chl b was high. The sixth (34.2°S, 115.4°W to 37.4°S, 92.1°W) was cold, well oxygenated and enriched with phosphate and nitrate. Concentration of phytoplankton pigment was, however, one of the lowest. The seventh, located off the Chilean coast, from 37.2°S, 87.2°W to 36.1°S, 74.1°W was well oxygenated and highly enriched with nitrate and phosphate. Phytoplankton pigments such as Fuco, Perid, But-fico, and Hex-fuco were rich. The 7 surface water masses are partially attributed to Kuroshio Current, North Equatorial Current and North Equatorial Countercurrent, South Equatorial current, South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, South Pacific Current, Subtropical Front and Chilean coastal water. The differences in physicochemical characteristics and the history of the surface water resulted in difference in quantity and composition of the phytoplankton pigment.     

Changes in Fish Assemblages after Dike Construction in the Saemangeum Area

In the Saemangeum area, construction of a dike began in 1991 and was completed in 2006; desalination is currently being conducted. In order to investigate     

Partitioning of dioxins (PCDDs/Fs) in ambient air at urban residential locations

In this work, 17-polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furan (PCDD/Fs) isomers were measured in ambient air at four urban sites in Seoul, Korea (from February to June 2009). The concentrations of their summed values (ΣPCDD/Fs) across all four sites ranged from 1,947 (271 WHO₀₅ TEQ) (Jong Ro) to 2,600 (349 WHO₀₅ TEQ) fg/m³ (Yang Jae) with a mean of 2,125 (± 317) fg/m³ (292 WHO₀₅ TEQ fg/m³). The sum values for the two isomer groups of ΣPCDD and ΣPCDF were 527 (30 WHO₀₅ TEQ) and 1,598 (263 WHO₀₅ TEQ) fg/m³, respectively. The concentration profile of individual species was dominated by the 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF isomer, which contributed approximately 36 % of the ΣPCDD/Fs value. The observed temporal trends in PCDD/F concentrations were characterized by relative enhancement in the winter and spring. The relative contribution of different sources, when assessed by principal component analysis, is explained by the dominance of vehicular emissions along with coal (or gas) burning as the key source of ambient PCDD/Fs in the residential areas studied.     

Quantitative assessment of inundation risks from physical contributors associated with future storm surges: a case study of Typhoon Maemi (2003)

Natural Hazards - Future storm-induced inundation risks were assessed by performing storm surge modeling based on Typhoon Maemi (2003) under the generic climate change scenarios proposed by IPCC...     

Performance of activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filters for indoor VOCs and dust control

An activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filter was fabricated, and the capacity to remove dust and volatile organic compounds was evaluated in a laboratory. The adsorption capacities for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and m-xylene gases were compared by an adsorption isotherm test conducted as a preliminary test, showing that m-xylene and benzene were the most and least favorable for adsorption onto activated carbon, respectively. Cellulose filters were made with four levels of activated carbon contents, and dust removal was performed with all of the filters showing 99 % and higher efficiencies stable with a small variation during the experiment. Activated carbon content of 5 g in the unit filter area (125 g/m²) was found optimum for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene removal, as it appeared that higher than 5 g activated carbon content was unnecessary for the improvement of its capacity. With increasing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene loading, the highest removal rates were determined as 0.33–0.37 mg/cm² s for as short as 0.0046 s of air filter residence time. The rapid removal was possible because of the high surface area of the activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filter provided by powdered activated carbon, which is distinguished from the granular form in conventional activated carbon towers. As fixed within a cellulose scaffolding structure, the powdered activated carbon performed excellent benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene adsorption (98.9–100 %), and at the same time, particular matters were removed in average 99.7 % efficiency after being filtered through the cellulose filter sheet.     

Shear strength and compressibility of oyster shell–sand mixtures

This paper investigates the fundamental characteristics of shear strength and deformation of crushed oyster shell–sand mixtures to stimulate recycling of waste oyster shells. Standard penetration tests (SPT) and large-scale direct-shear tests were carried out with different kinds of dry unit weight and mixing rate of oyster shell–sand mixture. Correlations between N-value, dry unit weight, and friction angle of mixtures were observed from the results of experimental tests, making it possible to estimate the in situ strength from SPT, and the coefficient of volume compressibility from the confined direct-shear compression test. These results also make it possible to compute the settlement of oyster shell–sand mixture when used in soft ground improvement.