A Possible Mechanism of Reservoir‐Induced Earthquakes in the Three Gorges Reservoir, Central China

Abstract

Research Article| September 18, 2018 A Possible Mechanism of Reservoir‐Induced Earthquakes in the Three Gorges Reservoir, Central China Lifen Zhang; Lifen Zhang aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jinggang Li; Jinggang Li aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Xiaodan Sun; Xiaodan Sun bMOE Key Laboratory of High‐Speed Railway Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 111‐15 Beiyiduan, Erhuan Road, Chengdu 610031, China, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Wulin Liao; Wulin Liao aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yannan Zhao; Yannan Zhao aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Guichun Wei; Guichun Wei aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Chaofeng He Chaofeng He aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Lifen Zhang aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Jinggang Li aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Xiaodan Sun bMOE Key Laboratory of High‐Speed Railway Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 111‐15 Beiyiduan, Erhuan Road, Chengdu 610031, China, [e-mail] Wulin Liao aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Yannan Zhao aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Guichun Wei aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Chaofeng He aKey Laboratory of Earthquake Geodesy, Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, Wuhan 430071, China Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 18 Sep 2018 Online Issn: 1943-3573 Print Issn: 0037-1106 © Seismological Society of America Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2018) 108 (5B): 3016–3028. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120180015 Article history First Online: 18 Sep 2018 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Lifen Zhang, Jinggang Li, Xiaodan Sun, Wulin Liao, Yannan Zhao, Guichun Wei, Chaofeng He; A Possible Mechanism of Reservoir‐Induced Earthquakes in the Three Gorges Reservoir, Central China. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2018;; 108 (5B): 3016–3028. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120180015 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract Induced seismicity has been observed at the Three Gorges Reservoir, central China, since its impoundment in May 2003. According to the data from a local seismic network deployed before the impoundment, more than 4000 earthquakes occurred between September 2008 and September 2017 at the intersection of the Fairy Mount fault and Nine‐Brook fault. The earthquakes are relocated using a double‐difference method. Based on the relocated hypocenters, the temporal and spatial variations in the earthquakes with water impoundment are investigated. The investigation indicates that the majority of the induced earthquakes before September 2013 occurred in the water‐loading stage within a depth of 5 km, which is considered to be initial seismicity. After September 2013, most earthquakes occurred in the water‐unloading stage with larger magnitude and greater depth and are considered to be protracted seismicity. The focal mechanisms of the earthquakes that are larger than M 2.0 are calculated and indicate that most earthquakes are associated with the local northwest‐ and northeast‐striking reverse faulting. A few earthquakes have focal mechanisms representing normal faulting and are associated with the tensile fractures caused by the stress adjustment. Finally, a possible mechanism of the reservoir‐induced earthquakes in the Three Gorges Reservoir is proposed, which explains the predominant factor for the induced seismicity for different water impoundment stages. 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