Controversial Zipingpu dam may have caused China's deadly earthquake

Probe International ^ | June 10, 2008 | Fan Xiao

[Founding Father]

I'm not sure if this is an environmental wacko theory or legitimate, but this is a causation theory I have not heard of.

[Jeff Chandler]

Sounds nutty to me.

[Dr. Marten]

Hard to say. Some question has been raised about the Sanxia damn as well.

I’m not a geologist, but I think it’s a bit premature to start making such assertions without an in-depth study that has been peer reviewed by other geologists around the world.

People have blamed the Hoover dam for earthquakes in the US, too.

[budwiesest]

Is this area near that giant Three Gorges Dam?

[AZ .44 MAG]

It looks like it’s pronounced “zipping poo”. Or is it just me?

[dr_who]

This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedivere. Explain again how sheep's bladders may be used to prevent earthquakes.

[Founding Father]

I think it is relatively close and certainly part of the same river system. The geology based blog that linked this article is legitimate and indicated there might be merit to this theory. I posted this because it is interesting and was curious as to what others thought or had heard.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Third, and very important, the reservoir should be located in a fault zone.

Ah so!

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

It is entirely plausible. The tectonic plates are floating on magma & the water in that reservoir weighs a lot.

[BenLurkin]

No way.

[LjubivojeRadosavljevic]

In related news, what I find interesting, is how it's being reported (e.g. FoxNews) that this earthquake will cause a further spike in oil prices.

[chaos_5]

As you get to the end he you find this gem.

when you look from an airplane, that the Min valley has been afflicted with all kinds of man-made ills

I would say its the enviro wacko druming up fear again

[Bosco]

Did somebody say...

Magma?

[miele man]

Apparently, it is not an environmental wacko theory. See this paper www.johnmartin.com/earthquakes/eqpapers/00000054.htm

[Dog Gone]

Asking an environmentalist about earthquakes is like asking a fat former Vice President to make weather predictions.

[Wuli]

the basis for the math that could prove his theory correct are very simple

can the weight of the water behind a dam located on a fault zone be so heavy that it affects the movement of the Earth's crust along that zone

I believe the math theory to prove it is not yet known; I believe seismic science does not have a theory, and related algorithms to test it (some one correct me??)

[Founding Father]

Thanks for the link. I hardly consider CalTech a hotbed of environmental wackos, so their advancing the theory of “RESERVOIR-INDUCED EARTHQUAKES” lends legitimacy to the idea. Thanks again.

[rockinqsranch]

Was that article a few days ago about the Nuclear test detonation disproven?

[Cicero]

It’s possible, but I’d also like to see it peer reviewed.

If it’s the weight of the water that is responsible, I find it odd that the earthquake would be triggered at a time when the reservoir level was low.

[Liberty 275]

Just as man is powerless to affect the weather to any degree beyond spending $1,000,000 to create 10 minutes of rain, he is also unable to cause large earthquakes. We, as a species, are great and all, but we ain’t that great.

I wonder what they blamed for earthquakes and melting glaciers before dams and the industrial revolution... anybody know?