Small-aperture arrays measurements taken at different nuclear plant sites showed that even under condition of thick sediments and high anthropogenic activity, usage of small-aperture arrays measurements significantly improves the quality of work small-aperture array located on thick sediments responds well to events with magnitudes Mb ≥ 1 at a distance up to 90 km; 1.5 – up to 200 km; and 1.7 (2.0) – at a distance up to 300 km. The sensitivity is improved by 0.4–0.8 Mb in case of granite massif; and in case of thick sediments it can come up to 1.5 Mb compared with separate seismic station.
After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a concern about safe construction and operation of NPP again is at the center of not only professional attention, but the whole world community. Safety issues should be a top priority for hazardous facilities even in cases with small probability of an accident. For example, nuclear power plant seismic safety. And in Russia nuclear power plants are located only in areas with low seismic activity. Even though possibility of an earthquake in such areas is low, the consequences of this extremely unlikely event can be catastrophic for a huge territory. Under these circumstances, organization and execution of local seismic observations to gain sufficient statistical data on the earthquakes of different magnitudes in a short period of time is a question of crucial importance. Results analysis should help with identification of earth crust zones without active faults suitable for NPP placement. Reliable statistical data should allow estimation of earthquake recurrence patterns.
