Effects of the October 23, 2011 Van Earthquake on Dams

Turkey is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Major earthquakes with the potential of threatening life and property occur frequently here. The last significant earthquake with a magnitude (Mw) of 7.2 took place on October 23, 2011 in the province of Van, located in Eastern Turkey near Lake Van. The epicenter is about 30 km to the north of Van city center. Because of its shallow focal depth of about 10 km the ground shaking in the epicenteral region was very severe. According to dam safety specialists about 35 dams were threaded by the Van earthquake. Most of these dams are small embankment dams. In view of the numerous aftershocks, the dams have been observed. In this study, the effects of earthquake shocks on dams are comparatively evaluated as based on the inspections and analyses. The earthquake safety evaluation of these dams is a concern and it is expected that some of them will need repair and strengthening.