COLOMBO – Sri Lanka is probing whether a minor earthquake reported near Pallekelle in central Sri Lanka on Wednesday (2) was due to induced seismicity linked to the nearby Victoria dam or an underground limestone collapse.
The Government Information Department said the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau had dispatched two teams to investigate the quakes/
The Pallekelle observation unit recorded minor earthquakes at 0706 hours on Wednesday and 2032 on Saturday (Aug 29). Wednesday’s quake had been felt in Ambakote and Aluwatte areas, while Saturday’s quake had been felt by residents of Gurudeniya, Haragama, Anuragama and Mailapitiya, all in the Central Province.
The earthquakes were not linked to any major geological fault lines, according to seismometer data.
Researchers suspect an induced earthquake related to Victoria Reservoir or the collapse of a weak metamorphic sedimentary limestone underground.
Induced earthquakes are related to human activity such as dams, which generate stresses on the underlying geology of the area.
The area around Digana is known for Dolomite rock formations.
-economynext.com