Coseismic release of water from mountains: Evidence from the 1999 (Mw = 7.5) Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake
- 1Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- 2Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taiwan
- 3Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
Abstract
Earthquake-induced increases in streamflow, producing ∼0.7 km3 of total excess water, were documented after the 1999 (Mw = 7.5) Chi-Chi earthquake in central Taiwan. Analysis of stream gauge data and well records suggests that the excess water originated in the mountains. We propose that the extensive high-angle fractures formed during the earthquake allow rapid release of water from mountains and that mountains in tectonically active areas may be repeatedly flushed by meteoric water at time intervals comparable to the recurrence time of large earthquakes.
Footnotes
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- Accepted May 11, 2004.
- Received April 22, 2004.
- Revision received May 7, 2004.
- Geological Society of America
