Articles | Volume 26, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-5711-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-5711-2026
Research article
 | 
11 Nov 2026
Research article |  | 11 Nov 2026

Reservoir-induced seismicity in China: Systematic characterization and implications for hazard assessment

Jiashan Zhang, Changsheng Jiang, Fengling Yin, Yiming Zhu, Hongyu Zhai, Jinmeng Bi, and Yan Zhang

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Cited articles

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Bi, J. M., Jiang, C. S., Lai, G. J., and Song, C.: Effectiveness evaluation and constraints of early aftershock probability forecasting for strong earthquakes in continental China, Chin. J. Geophys., 65, 2532–2545, https://doi.org/10.6038/cjg2022P0411, 2022 (in Chinese). 
Chang, Y., Wang, R., Han, P., Wang, J., Miao, M., Zeng, Z., Wu, W., Jiang, C., Meng, L., Shi, H., and Hattori, K.: b-Value Evaluation and Applications to Seismic Hazard Assessment, Entropy, 27, 958, https://doi.org/10.3390/e27090958, 2025. 
Cheng, H., Zhang, H., Zhu, B., Sun, Y., Zheng, L., Yang, S., and Shi, Y.: Finite element investigation of the poroelastic effect on the Xinfengjiang Reservoir-triggered earthquake, Sci. China Earth Sci., 55, 1942–1952, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-012-4470-8, 2012. 
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Short summary
Large reservoirs can sometimes trigger earthquakes. We combined a national reservoir map with 50 years of records to examine 1,435 Chinese reservoirs and identify 88 likely linked to filling. 95% of the resulting earthquakes struck within 25 km of the shore, with activity peaking a year or two after filling, mainly in geologically active regions. Reservoirs over 320 million cubic metres, or 16 km long, are far more prone, and the current 10 km assessment zone should be widened to 30-40 km.
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