Zipingpu Dam May Have Triggered the Sichuan Quake

bfwebster writes "An article in the Telegraph (UK) raises an interesting question: was the massive (7.9) Sichuan earthquake that wracked China last year and left millions homeless caused by ground stresses following the completion of the Zipingpu dam? As the article notes, 'The 511-ft-high Zipingpu dam holds 315 million tonnes of water and lies just 550 yards from the fault line, and three miles from the epicenter, of the Sichuan earthquake. Now scientists in China and the United States believe the weight of water, and the effect of it penetrating into the rock, could have affected the pressure on the fault line underneath, possibly unleashing a chain of ruptures that led to the quake.'" The Sichuan region is earthquake-prone, but has not seen anything as large as the 7.9-magnitude quake for perhaps millions of years. The Chinese government denies any connection between the dam and the earthquake and seems to be actively obstructing the access of scientists who want to investigate. The article concludes, "There is a history of earthquakes triggered by dams, including several caused by the construction of the Hoover Dam in the US, but none of such a magnitude."

Comments

actively obstructing

[Tablizer]

The Chinese government denies any connection between the dam and the earthquake and seems to be actively obstructing the access of scientists who want to investigate.

Well, it's a Wonderful thing We've never Witnessed a gov't like that in the USA. Knock on Wood.
   

Re:Social justice requires desalination

[coyote4til7]

They had a HUGE store surge

Store surges! Mississippi should patent that. The Feds could fund the R&D to make it scalable. Then it could be licensed to Macy's, Target, Home Depot & Co. for a percentage of the increase in sales. The Federal R&D funds could be repaid with the profits.

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Well, shiver me timbers! The Grammar Nazis' left me in charge and here be this juicy morsel. I are the Pirate of unintentionally humorous abuse of words. Argg! Set sail, mateys! We be boarding Dubya next!