Abstract
For thousands of years, a variety of hydrologic changes has been documented following earthquakes. Examples include the liquefaction of sediments, increased stream discharge, changes in groundwater level, changes in the temperature and chemical composition of groundwater, formation of new springs, disappearance of previously active springs, and changes in the activities of mud volcanoes and geysers. It is not unexpected that earthquakes can cause hydrologic changes because the stresses created by earthquakes can be large. What is surprising are the large amplitudes of hydrologic responses and the great distances over which these changes occur. Following the 2004 M9.2 Sumatra earthquake , for example, groundwater erupted in southern China, 3200 km away from the epicenter, and the water fountain shown in Fig. 1.1 reached a height of 50–60 m above the ground surface when it was first sighted. Because earthquakes and water interact with each other through changes in both stress and physical properties of rocks, understanding the origin of hydrological responses can provide unique insight into hydrogeologic and tectonic processes at spatial and temporal scales that otherwise could not be studied.
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Wang, CY., Manga, M. (2010). Introduction. In: Earthquakes and Water. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 114. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00810-8_1
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