RISCO SÍSMICO E USINAS NUCLEARES

Abstract

Brazil enjoys a privileged location as regards safety from catastrophic events such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis. Its seismic activity recorded so far has been classified as mild tremors posing no significant hazard. There are no active volcanoes; and as regards probable situations,occasional tsunamis striking the country’s coastline would hit it when already attenuated, with low-amplitude waves. The nuclear plant of Angra dos Reis is located on a tectonic province where the main seismic events recorded so far have never surpassed the estimated magnitude of 5.1, which is a quite moderate activity posing no threats to the plant buildings. Tsunamis can be triggered mainly by powerful earthquakes beneath the ocean, or by collapses of oceanic island volcanoes. The Brazilian coastline has nothing around it as threatening as that. Anyway, the nuclear plant of Angra dos Reis is protected from sea moves that might generate waves up to four meters of height.