An investigation on the quantitative effect of the 2003 Bam earthquake on Bam plain aquifer

Abstract

The Bam plain is located in the eastern part of Kerman Province and adjacent to Kavir-e-Lut. This plain is a part of the Lut catchment area with a total drainage area of about 4357 km. The Bam plain with a dry climate has an average annual precipitation of about 60 mm. The Bam aquifer is the unique source of water for domestic and agricultural purposes. The devastating Bam earthquake on 26 December 2003 with a magnitude of 6.5 has affected the hydrogeology parameters of the Bam aquifer. The earthquake happened due to the action of an unrecognized fault called Arg-e- Bam fault. This fault seems to be a branch of the well -known Bam strike slip fault. The Bam earthquake affects the water quantity parameters of the Bam aquifer. The quantitative variation includes the change of discharge, decline of groundwater level, changes in groundwater gradient and flow direction. This paper deals with the variation of quantity parameters in the Bam aquifer before and after the earthquake.