 Douglas Luken  Geo361: Hydrology 3 Gorges Dam, China Just Another Dam Argument

Induced : Triggered : In this presentation we will assume they are one in the same. Is the significant change in load stress and/or pore pressure, causing a substantial change in the crust Is the significant change in load stress and/or pore pressure, causing a substantial change in the crust If the crust is previously close to a fault failure due to natural processes, and only required a minor change in load or pore pressure If the crust is previously close to a fault failure due to natural processes, and only required a minor change in load or pore pressure Many state there is a difference between “Triggered” and “Induced”

“…earthquakes occurring in the vicinity of artificial water reservoirs as a consequence of impounding.” (Gupta, Harsh K., 2002.)

Monthly variation in reservoir water depth and seismic activity as recorded by an analogue station near the dam wall

Completed in 1935 Completed in 1963 Main Body Completed ’s of Earthquakes occurred as the water rose to its peak height of 475ft in 1939 M ≥6.3 Earthquake in ft long 1045km² surface area

DamCountryDam Height (m)Impounding Began Largest EQ Magnitude ZipingpuChina KoyaIndia KaribaZambia KremastaGreece XinfengjiangChina SrinakharinThailand MarathonGreece OrovilleUSA AswanEygpt BenmoreNew Zealand EucumbeneAustralia HooverUSA BamjinaYugoslavia BhastaIndia KerrUSA KurobeJapan MonteyardFrance ShenwoChina AkosomboGhana CanellesSpain Reported Cases of RIS with M ≥ 4.0 *Source T.Valdut, Enviromental Aspects of Reservoir Induced Seismicity, May 1993

There is resistance in the engineering community globally to accept the significant or even existence of RIS.