U.S.-Korea Cooperative Research: Seismic Hazard Assessment and Seismological Study in the Korean Peninsula using Modern and Historical Earthquake Catalog Data

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

Investigators

Abstract

0301894 Chiu A reliable seismic hazard assessment has become an essential scientific and economic issue for the Korean Peninsula as well as for the central and eastern U.S.A. that are considered in a stable intraplate continental environment. Via this joint research effort between the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, the University of Memphis, USA, and the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea, a few most fundamental but not well understood questions concerning earthquake activities in a stable continental region will be studied. These questions include but are not limited to (1) Why significant earthquakes occur in intraplate regions far away from plate boundaries? (2) Can surface geology be correlated to historical and modern earthquake activities? Can active faults be identified from reliably determined seismicity? (3) Are there any recurrence patterns for large intraplate earthquakes in historical records? Will the next large earthquake occur near any previous location? (4) Can historical earthquake information be used to predict the most probable mode of faulting for the next large earthquake and how large the future faulting area will be? (5) What role does the upper mantle structure play in a regional tectonic evolution and in the occurrence of damaging earthquakes? Some of these questions are very difficult to answer in the central and eastern U.S. mainly because of a relatively short period of modern and historical data that is, however, not the case for the Korean Peninsula. A historical earthquake catalog covering over ~2000 years is available for Korea and the modern Korean seismic network is surrounded by one of the world's most seismic active regions including Japan, Ryukyu, Taiwan, and northeastern China. Furthermore, the selection and construction criteria, and safety management of the existing and future critical facilities, e.g. nuclear power plants and high technology centers, in the Korean Peninsula also depend on a reliable seismic hazard assessment which is not only a local problem but has evolved into an international concern. The ultimate goals of this joint NSF-KOSEF project will emphasize on (1) the compilation of a consistent Korean historical earthquake catalog and the conversion of its intensity information to the moment magnitude scale, (2) the evaluation of seismicity and crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the Korean Peninsula using modern seismic network data and their implications for regional tectonic evolution, and (3) an assessment of earthquake hazard in the Korean Peninsula from the revised modern and historical earthquake catalog data. Therefore broader impacts of the proposed research will include (1) a safer site selection and management of numerous critical facilities on the Korean Peninsula that is significant for regional and global environment and economics, and (2) a better understanding of how earthquakes work in a stable continent and its applications to other intraplate regions around the world where long historical earthquake catalog may not be available.