This is due to the compression and expansion of the aquifer by seismic waves.
It was found that the earthquake that occurred in Turkiye temporarily raised the groundwater level in Korea.
A research team led by Dr. Soo-hyung Lee of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources announced on the 14th that they had detected changes in the groundwater level at two groundwater monitoring wells in Korea after the earthquake in Turkiye.
According to the research team, the water level temporarily rose by 7 cm at 10:17 a.m. on the 6th, when a magnitude 7.8 main earthquake occurred at the Mungyeong Observation Deck. After the magnitude 7.5 aftershock occurred at 7:24 p.m., the water level dropped by 3 cm. At the observation deck in Gangneung, the water level rose 3 cm after the main camp.
The researchers explained that when an earthquake occurs, the rocks around the ‘aquifer’ are compressed by the seismic waves, and the aquifer repeats compression and expansion, and the groundwater level rises and falls repeatedly. An aquifer refers to a stratum containing groundwater. The research team observed and studied changes in groundwater levels during the 2010 earthquake in Indonesia, the 2011 earthquake in East Japan, and the 2021 earthquake in New Zealand, and published them in international journals.
The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources said, “When a strong earthquake occurs, groundwater moves rapidly and outflow and inflow can occur irregularly. Continued research is needed,” he said.
Reporter Jeon Nam-hyuk forward@donga.com
