Tectonics, tsunami and active faults on Omaezaki: Hazards for Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (M1 Mid-Congress excursion)

Abstract

I was looking forward to this field trip. Coming from Christchurch we are not unaccustomed to tectonic activity, so I was curious to visit a country which not only utilised nuclear power, but was also seismically active. What were the challenges in this? A group of 40 INQUA delegates from over 20 countries assembled at the Convention Centre and it soon became apparent that this was more than just a “let’s-look-at-some-tsunami-deposits” trip. The wider responsibility of science to society was the purpose of the M1 excursion. The organiser of the excursion, Dr Yugo Ono (who unfortunately was not able to attend personally due to family illness), had stated that he passionately believed that all nuclear power plants (NPP) in Japan should be closed. Moreover, he believed it was the responsibility of Japanese Quaternary researchers to show the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) to INQUA participants and to discuss its risk and safety from the (objective) viewpoint of Quaternary science.