Effects of seismic surge waves and implications for moraine-dammed lake outburst

Moraine dams usually collapse due to overtopping by the surge wave in the dammed lake, and the surge wave is most likely caused by an earthquake. The seismic water wave (SWW) is a major factor causing the dam to break in the earthquake zone. This paper focused on the SWW by model experiments with a shaking water tank under conditions of various water depths, seismic waves, and peak ground accelerations. Two empirical equations were obtained for estimating maximal wave height for the low and high frequency, respectively. Finally, we present the application of the empirical equations on Midui Glacier Lake in Tibet plateau.