Effects of earthquakes and faulting on the deep geological environment based on case studies in Japan

Ishimaru, Tsuneari ; Niwa, Masakazu   ; Kurosawa, Hideki; Kagohara, Kyoko

Plate-boundary and intraplate earthquakes occur relative to convergent plate margins in the Japanese Islands. For site selection and design of HLW repositories in Japan, an assessment of the effects of earthquakes and faulting on the deep geological environment is absolutely essential. As a results, it has been determined that consideration of seismic shaking and frictional heating may be unnecessary if repositories are located away from active faults. On the other hand, fracturing along faults could result in the development of fracture zones, which could consequently increase permeability. The number of fracture zone decreases significantly at about 500 m away from the fault, based on the case study of the Atotsugawa Fault System. Therefore, understanding changes in character and spatial distribution of fracture zones through studying the history of fault development is important for long-term changes of regional groundwater flow.