Seismicity investigations at dam sites

• Published in: Engineering geology Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 199 - 212
• Main Author: Long, R.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.1974
• ISSN: 0013-7952; 1872-6917
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-7952(74)90025-8

The investigation of seismicity at the sites of large reservoirs provides important data for the design of dams and other structures in the vicinity. The seismological problem is to predict the pattern of earthquake activity over the lifetime of the dam including the effects of constructing the dam and filling the reservoir. In this paper a method of prediction is discussed which is based on the migration of activity along fault zones. The velocity of migration and the distance between centres of large-scale activity are used to predict the variation of earthquake risk with time. The method allows the risk of generating a large event on filling a reservoir to be assessed and time of minimum risk to be estimated. The method is applied in preliminary studies of the sites of the Lar Reservoir in Iran and the Tendaho Dam in Ethiopia. Further studies with local networks are underway.