Competition with nature?

by Liisa

The Koeberg nuclear power station (only nuclear power station in South Africa) is built over a fault line: the worst place for a nuclear station. A fault, in geology, is a planar or gently curved fracture in the rocks of the Earth’s crust, where compressional or tensional forces cause relative displacement of the rocks on the opposite sides of the fracture.

The last activity reported was over in 1809, and it measured a 6.5 on the Richter scale. The Haiti earthquake of 2010 measured a 7.0 on the Richter scale, and scientists believe that the Milnerton fault, which lies about 8 km offshore of Koeberg, is due for another quake soon.