Zipingpu
Encyclopedia
Zipingpu Dam is an embankment dam
on the Min River near the city of Dujiangyan
, Sichuan
Province in southwest China
. It consists of four generators
with a total generating capacity of 760 MW
. Construction began in 2001 and was finished late 2006.
The traditional Dujiangyan Irrigation System
consisting of canals, levees
, and dams, has been in use since 256 AD.
caused some damage to the dam, with the dam having a few cracks and fissures. Geologists now believe that the dam could have led to the massive earthquake.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
on the Min River near the city of Dujiangyan
Dujiangyan City
Dujiangyan is a county-level city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China. It has an area of 1208 square kilometers and a population of 600,000 in 2003....
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
Province in southwest China
Southwest China
Southwest China is a region of the People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing, the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.-Provinces:-Municipalities:...
. It consists of four generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
with a total generating capacity of 760 MW
MW
-Transportation:* Maintenance of way, railroad upkeep* Maya Island Air IATA airline designator-Games:* Mafia Wars, a game on Facebook* MechWarrior, a profession in the fictional universe of BattleTech...
. Construction began in 2001 and was finished late 2006.
The traditional Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
Dujiangyan is an irrigation infrastructure built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. It is located in the Min River in Sichuan province, China, near the capital Chengdu. It is still in use today to irrigate over 5,300 square kilometers of land in the region...
consisting of canals, levees
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
, and dams, has been in use since 256 AD.
Controversy
The 7.9 magnitude quake on May 12, 20082008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
caused some damage to the dam, with the dam having a few cracks and fissures. Geologists now believe that the dam could have led to the massive earthquake.