New Dam in China Possible Cause of Devastating Earthquake

Li Youcai, a retired senior engineer issued warnings about the potential dangers of creating a large water reservoir at the site of the Zipingpu dam on the Min River.  Fan Xiaori, the head engineer at the Sichuan Bureau of Geological Exploration surveying team, listed seven factors that indicate a reservoir might trigger an earthquake.  According to Fan, the Zipingpu dam meets six of these seven conditions.

Officials deny the reservoir caused the earthquake that killed tens of thousands on May 12.

The dam was built to withstand an intensity VII (very strong) earthquake on the Mercalli scale.  The Wenchuan quake measured XI (very disastrous), and the epicentre was less than 20 kilometres away.  It is a miracle that the 156-metre dam withstood the earthquake and did not release the waters behind the dam.  The reservoir was only 1/3 of capacity when the earthquake hit.

Workers and engineers are trying to assess and fix the damage to the dam and the reservoir, but discussions need to be held about what to do going forward.  Chinese politicians need to listen to their engineers.  If the decision is made to repair the dam, the reservoir should probably not be filled to capacity.  The better course of action would probably be to dismantle the dam.  This will not be the last earthquake in this region, and the next one may be stronger, especially if, as these scientists argue, the reservoir itself causes the earthquakes.

Go here to read the original story:  http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2210

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