What are the environmental effects if an earthquake destroys a dam .

Question by David K: What are the environmental effects if an earthquake destroys a dam?
If there are two dams, one (Ryan dam) further downhill and the other (Rainbow dam) upstream from the first, what would the environmental effects be on the line between the two dams? Furthermore, what would pass to a third dam (Morony dam) that is downhill from Ryan Dam?

Best answer:

Answer by Mark V
I cannot do this question specifically, because I`m not just familiar with those damns, the river that they dam, the terrain that they`re built in, or how far they are, and what position their floodplain is from civilization.

But as a universal rule -

If a dam is directly taken away (however it`s done), the source of water behind the dam will be immediately released.The potential energy of the stored water (which is a lot, bigger and bigger as the reservoir gets bigger, especially as it gets taller) is rapidly converted into kinetic energy in the variety of water rushing down river.This will be very powerful, and very fast, and so it will squeeze out the river channel, making it deeper and wider (this won`t only be done by water, but the power of the urine will clean up large rocks and hold them along, which will help gouge out the river bottom).Depending on the sizing of that dam, the effects could be ruinous to the prompt environment, wiping out fish, wiping out animals and plants near the banks of the river.

Downstream, (again, this depends on the sizing of the low dam) the effect of the water could be adequate to develop the second dam, which would only add more force, and more energy to the water running downstream, making the effects even bigger (the voltage to stop the second dam lies in the sizing and influence of the second damn`s reservoir - if there is a long reservoir behind the damn, that will serve to better "draw" the force, which could keep the second dam).

If that second dam breaks, then it will squeeze out the riverbed even worse, as I already stated, and exactly wish the second dam, could potentially destroy the third dam.It could theoretically be an enormous "domino effect" which would more than likely end up effecting human cities downstream.

There is a link below to explain about the end cause by the loser of the Teton Dam.It will make you loads of interesting information.

What do you think? Answer below!