Tidal triggering of reservoir-associated earthquakes

Abstract

If the effect of a reservoir is to bring a fault zone gradually to failure and trigger an earthquake, then it is reasonable that rapidly fluctuating tidal stresses may influence the time of the induced earthquakes. An examination of earthquakes from eight reservoirs shows that earthquakes at six sites occur at preferred times in the semidiurnal tidal cycle. Tidal-stress orientations and the phase within the semidiurnal tidal cycle were calculated for only the largest earthquakes occurring at each site. This insures the elimination of aftershocks and selects earthquakes which are independent of each other. Sites of a significant earthquake/tide correlation with less than a 3% chance of occurring randomly include Hebgen Lake, Mont., U.S.A.; Kariba, Rhodesia; Kerr Dam, Mont., U.S.A.; Kremasta, Greece; Lake Mead, Nev., U.S.A.; and Monteynard, France. Each data set includes from about ten to twenty earthquakes. In most of the above cases earthquake triggering seems to occur when tidal stress enhances slip, i.e., when tidal stresses are oriented to enhance the tectonic stress.