Although researchers have long been exploring the possibility of causing powerful earthquakes artificially, this is not yet feasible. Ruben Tatevosyan, Deputy Director for Engineering Seismology at the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about this.
The seismologist specified that this process is called “induced seismicity.” Indian scientists were the first to talk about it, who noticed that after the construction of a dam on the Koina River, the level of seismic activity began to grow in the region. And five years later there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 points. At the same time, before the filling of the reservoir in the area, tremors more powerful than 4 points were never observed, writes “Lenta.ru”.
“The mechanism for the occurrence of induced seismicity is not completely clear. Perhaps the penetration of water to great depths disrupts the balance of hydrostatic pressure and causes movement along a hidden fault under the bottom of the reservoir,” Tatevosyan explained.
In addition, according to the seismologist, induced seismicity can occur if fluid is pumped into deep wells. In particular, scientists from France conducted an experiment within the framework of the Sulz project, during which deep heat was used. Together with a test injection of fluid to a depth, specialists deployed a network of high-sensitivity seismic stations. As a result, the devices detected a sharp increase in the number of earthquakes, albeit rather weak ones.
After the devastating earthquake in Turkey on February 6, various theories about its possible artificial origin were discussed on the Web. However, scientists are sure that such an element cannot be man-made.
