Impoundment?Associated Hydro?Mechanical Changes and Regional Seismicity Near the Xiluodu Reservoir, Southwestern China

Four large hydropower stations have recently been built downstream the Jinsha River in Southwestern China with a strong regional tectonic activity background. There is widely felt seismicity since impoundment of Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba reservoirs, increasing public concern this region. We begin criticality analysis faults near these reservoirs to quantify their susceptibility triggered seismicity. Then we focus on reservoir investigate correlation between nearby. analyze spatio-temporal distribution reservoir, identify plausible rapid delayed seismic response due impoundment. According record, explicitly model hydro-mechanical changes diffusion water load, that is, pore pressure, elastic stress, resulting Coulomb stress. Our results show pressure can reach level may trigger fault reactivation consequently, The load also induce positive stress faults, depending orientation, which especially important for understanding earthquakes occurred shortly after at more than 10 km distance from reservoir. combination two effects change over larger area, overlaps majority events impoundment, including M5+ events. While causal relationship warrants further analysis, hope inform impact timely study.