Three Gorges Dam

Three Gorges Dam

Context:

Recently, China’s Three Gorges Dam was in news, stating is responsibilites for displacing massive amounts of water which could potentially affect the Earth’s rotation.

Relevance:

GS-01 (Physical Geography)

Three Gorges Dam:

  • It is a hydroelectric gravity dam.
  • It is the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity of 22,500 MW.
  • On an average, the Three Gorges Dam generates 95±20 TWh of electricity per year.
  • It is located on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, China.
  • The construction of the dam started in 1994 and was completed in 2012.
  • The dam is 2,335 metres long and 185 metres high, creating a reservoir capable of holding 40 cubic kilometres of water.
  • Functionality: Beyond generating electricity, the Three Gorges Dam was built to improve shipping capacity along the Yangtze River and reduce the risk of downstream flooding through flood storage space.
  • NASA’s Concern: The redistribution of water from the dam’s reservoir may have a slight impact on the Earth’s rotation, though further studies are required to assess the long-term effects.

About the Yangtze River:

  • It is the longest river in Asia and third-longest in the world.
  • It originates from the Tibetan Plateau and dips in the East China Sea, stretching for about 6,300 km (3,915 miles).
  • It is also famously known as the longest river in the world to flow entirely within one country.
  • The river’s basin covers an area of 1.8 million square kilometers.
  • Major tributaries: Yalung, Min, Jialing, Han (left bank) and Wu, Yuan, Xiang, Gan (right bank).