Analysis on the disaster mechanism of rock collapse of M4.4 reservoir-induced earthquake on January 17, 2010, at Dongjing reservoir in Guizhou Province, China

Abstract

Dongjing reservoir with storage capacity of 955 million m3 and 150 m dam height had been set up in Guizhou province, southeastern China on May in 2005. After filling with water in August 20, 2009, the reservoir-induced earthquake in 20 km took place first in September 2009 at the 440 m water level. When the water level changes, the number of earthquakes is increased rapidly. On January 17, 2010, the largest M 4.4 earthquake with depth of 7 km has happen and month frequency achieved 21 events at the highest water level. M 4.4 earthquake caused rock collapse with the disaster of killed six people and nine injure. After our investigation and study, the reason of higher epicentral intensity of earthquake was the surface effect of near-field elastic wave transmission. The disaster of rock falls certainly depended on the very very shallow earthquake, the height of valley and fault. Comparing as same magnitude of natural earthquake, very shallow earthquake increased 1–2° of epicentral intensity I0, more than twice amplitude of S-wave at 200 m height of valley and the largest displacement on fault. The superposition of three factors has increased the epicentral intensity of earthquake and directly caused rock collapse with the disaster of killed six people and nine injure.