(May 22, 2010) The April 13, 2010 Yushu earthquake damaged three dams on the Batang River, putting one at risk of collapse.
Dams damaged in Yushu earthquake
China’s earthquake watcher
(May 12, 2010) An article about Yong Yang, a rabble-rousing independent geologist who has previously faced death threats from businessmen and local officials for raising concerns about the feasibility of lucrative proposed projects.
Clean energy’s dark side: safety of “green” dams in China called into question
(May 11, 2010) Dams are often presented as a clean source of energy. But, as Heather Gingerich, Probe’s Medical Geologist-in-Residence and current Director of the International Medical Geology Association in Canada, explains, they can trigger earthquakes.
Controversial SW China dam sparks new showdown
(April 28, 2010) Chinese police have seized a farmer who doused himself in gasoline and threatened to blow himself up to stop the demolition of his house, in the latest showdown over the controversial Pubugou hydropower project.
Forced evictions over Pubugou dam
(April 26, 2010) Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan have begun demolishing houses and forcing people from their homes near the Pubugou hydroelectic power project, which is due to go into operation soon. Chinese geological expert says the dam will increase the risk of devastating earthquakes.
The Zipingpu experiment: Dam engineers go back to the drawing boards
(April 20, 2010) Until the deadly Wenchuan earthquake in China in 2008, no large concrete face rockfill dam (CFRD) had ever been subject to a strong, ground shaking earthquake. But that changed on May 12, 2008 when the Zipingpu hydro dam, one of the largest CFRDs in China and sitting just 17 km from the earthquake epicenter, suffered higher than anticipated seismic forces, causing major damage to its concrete face and deflecting the giant structure 180 mm downstream. A leading scientist now says the earthquake should act as a wake up call for dam builders.
Seismic Aspects of Large Dams
(April 19, 2010) A presentation by Dr. Martin Wieland, Chairman of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dam Design, on the seismic aspects of dams. Contains stunning photographs of the damage to the Zipingpu dam in the wake of the Wenchuan Earthquake in China’s Sichuan province on May 12, 2008.
Building dams in China’s seismic regions always a risk
(April 16, 2010) Fears of a potential collapse of the Changu dam, once again, highlight the problems of constructing dams in seismically active regions – especially so in China, where the quality of dams has been questioned.
Prediction of reservoir-induced earthquake based on fuzzy theory
(April 4, 2010) Abstract—With more and more reservoirs have been and are being built all over the world, reservoir-induced earthquake has received a great deal of attention from geoscientists mainly because of its potential to damage constructions and to cause human losses. Based on the previous researches on the environmental conditions of reservoir-induced earthquake, a criteria hierarchy model has been constructed.
Zipingpu and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake: The debate continues
(April 1, 2010) More scientists are joining the debate over whether China’s Wenchuan May 2008 earthquake was triggered by the Zipingpu dam.
The Three Gorges reservoir has become a danger
(March 11, 2010) The large-scale construction that accompanied the building of the Three Gorges dam and its reservoir has increased the number of landslides—both new and reactivated—in the surrounding area. County seats recently built on land near the reservoir are now particularly prone to landslides. Local schools and residential buildings are already suffering cracked foundations and walls.
The relationship between large reservoirs and seismicity
(February 8, 2010) Following the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China, Chen Houqun, Xu Zeping and Li Ming discuss the question of whether large reservoirs can trigger strong earthquakes.
Sichuan Quake brochure
(January 4, 2010) An excellent brochure, providing details on the deadly May 2008 Sichuan Earthquake and the possibility that the Zipingpu Dam may have caused it.
The relationship between large reservoirs and seismicity
(January 2010) Following the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China, Chen Houqun, Xu Zeping and Li Ming discuss the question of whether large reservoirs can trigger strong earthquakes.
The dam that shook the earth
(November 19, 2009) Peter Bosshard, policy director of International Rivers, provides a nice overview of the controversy surrounding the Zipingpu dam.
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