The research has been helping China’s disaster management authorities better understand the full impact of the catastrophic flooding that would occur if one of China’s, and the world’s, biggest dams collapsed. The work could also be applied in Australia to help plan for extreme weather events. 

Working with China’s Satellite Surveying & Mapping Application Centre (SASMAC), CSIRO scientists have modelled the effects of a catastrophic failure of the massive Geheyan Dam in China’s Hubei province. They have simulated the impact of flooding on the surrounding region and its infrastructure if the dam suddenly released its 3.12 billion cubic metres of water. The Geheyan Dam holds more than five times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour. Dam failure is of particular concern in China because many of the country’s 70,000 dams are in regions prone to earthquakes. Read More