Big Trouble in Little China

[Chris Coles]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

This is from yesterday, the water level is still rising. Upstream, 600km from three gorges. This was yesterday, the water levels has risen and is still rising. If something gives way, it could have global consequences.

The underlying problem is very simple; global warming has, (certainly here in the UK), massively accelerated the rate of temperature rise. For example, here the BBC weather forecasters have been putting up details of the maximum temperature every summer up to last year. It never got higher than 30C over the last decade. Last summer we had a high of 38.7; this year we have just had 6 days continuous above 34C, reaching 36C. Now today and tomorrow we are in the process of experiencing what they keep telling us would normally be autumn weather, a low pressure right up alongside Ireland, giving strong winds and much rain. So when we look at China, what we see is that suddenly, they are experiencing very heavy rain upstream of the three gorges dam and they have already let so much rain out of the reservoir; the downstream cities are already in trouble.

Having given this debate some thought I have come to the conclusion that with the dam spillway, the top level of water being 175 metres, well above present levels; two things are important. 1. We should be confident that the designers have built a dam that will remain secure with the reservoir at that level with the full flow then passing over that spillway. 2. That no one gave full thought to the effects both up and down stream of such an event; particularly if the rainfall was beyond their original calculations.

It would seem that China is in the process of experiencing what we are here; a massive increase in rainfall and associated weather events; well beyond expectations of the original designers of the dam. Moreover, this may well be just the start, we may be about to witness what one might describe as the plant's weather totally out of control; beyond any previous expectation. I am very glad I live at the top of the highest hills in my region.

[touchring]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

This is from yesterday, the water level is still rising. Upstream, 600km from three gorges. This was yesterday, the water levels has risen and is still rising. If something gives way, it could have global consequences.

[Chris Coles]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

simply; every nation, (other than the UK with Blue Streak), has had failed launches.

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sed-China.html

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

I don't see the dam failing, but it was ment to stop flood water......which its has failed to do son...
Mike

[shiny!]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

https://twitter.com/man_integrated/s...85704424402946

"11 Aug 2020
The Sichuan Basin continues to get drenched, with more than 2 ft of rain forecast for Chengdu in the next ten days. It's a vital food growing region, and crops are getting wiped out. The Sichuan Basin drains into the Yangtze upstream of the Three Gorges Dam."

and...

"At this point, the biggest risk is that it simply won't stop raining in the upper reaches. They will have no choice but to keep the sluiceways open and increase further flooding downstream."

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

the CCP is very "Jumpy" .....& then a group of western's appear.
They did the best they could without causing "trouble" for themselves....

Mike

[Chris Coles]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

Very true Mega, but what I was most disappointed about in the above video is that they never seemed to be able to think of a strategy; to at the least get a long range view along the line of the dam. As you so correctly define, little sign of panic repairs . . . . .

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

Well
Its still stood there, from what I can see there is little sign of "Panic repairs"......

[Chris Coles]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

Or, again . . . how not to make a video; instead an exercise in unedited conversation; constantly repeating dialogue to a classic example of doing something to the n degree.

[touchring]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

The dam is suppose to last 100 years...

[Mega]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

[Chris Coles]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

Not an engineer,but maybe it's to relief the pressure at the base of the dam and because mud sinks, to let some of the mud flow out?

I'm just wondering if the reduction in carbon emission due to Covid has caused the abnormal rain patterns this year. One thing leads to another....

In point of fact, it turns out that the spillway is at 175m but the water height was reduced at a much lower level. From what I can make of it they were reacting to a water flow that had overwhelmed towns and cities upstream, and that in so doing they pushed the flooding problem downstream; making no one happy.

The pressure at the base of the water column remains the same, regardless of if the water is in motion or not. My point is that such a massive water flow will erode the linings of the outlet tubes; water has a way of eroding everything . . . eventually!

[touchring]

Re: Big Trouble in Little China

What I find so alarming is that the original concept of a spillway was always placed at the top of the dam, so that any overflow was at the rate of the flow at the surface. If they have designed a dam where the overflow is drawn from the base of the dam in those hugely destructive flows; then there must be every possibility of the destruction of the structure from those flows at the base. In which case the failure is only a matter of time.

Not an engineer,but maybe it's to relief the pressure at the base of the dam and because mud sinks, to let some of the mud flow out?

I'm just wondering if the reduction in carbon emission due to Covid has caused the abnormal rain patterns this year. One thing leads to another....