“….in terms of internal erosion potential of the foundation, Mosul Dam is the most dangerous dam in the world… If a small problem [at] Mosul Dam occurs, failure is likely.”
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, September 2006
Presentaion - Nadhir Al-Ansari
Professor - Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering
Lulea University of Technology
Key Facts
The Mosul Dam provides critical irrigation, flood control, and hydropower to NW Iraq
Leaks were discovered within months of operation
U.S. Army study concludes that the dam is at a “high risk” of failure
Projected loss of life from dam failure 500,000 (U.S. Embassy est. 1.47 million)
Only permanent solution is to construct a second dam at estimated cost of $2 billion
Heart Disease Prediction using machine learning.pptx
Mosul Dam Crisis: The most dangerous dam in the world
1. Mosul Dam: The most
dangerous dam in the
world.
OVERVIEW
Nadhir Al-Ansari
Professor, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden
Member of the Iraqi Forum for Intellectuals and Academics
2. Tigris River
Mosul reservoir reservoir
Spillway
Mosul dam site
North Al-Jazeera pumping
station
Hydropower generation
5. Mosul Dam is one of the biggest water projects in
Iraq.
Purpose
•Flood control
•Irrigation of area (2500ha projected)directly from
Mosul Reservoir and 750000ha from dam releases at
middle and south Iraq.
•Hydropower generation(4 turbines with total
generating capacity of 750 MW) + 300 MW (Pump
storage and Reregulating Dam).
6.
7. • The total volume of material for the embankment is
reported to be around 37.7 million m3
• The upstream and downstream embankment slopes
are inclined 2.5:1 (horizontal: vertical) below El. 330
m, which is the normal high operating pool level.
• Above El. 330 meters, both slopes are inclined at
1.73:1.
17. Sinkholes and Dissolution Phenomena
In March 2002 a large
dissolution tunnel was
discovered in a gypsum/
anhydrite layer in the right
bank of the reservoir . The
height of the cave was 1.3
meters with a floor level of
315 compared to 330.
which was the maximum
operation water level
18. Seepage from left abutment (photos taken in 2003)
The situation was stable with continuing dissolution .
Discharge showed strong correlation with reservoir water
level
19. Sinkholes and Dissolution Phenomena
The existence of (Wadi
Dermalih) under ground
aquifer was established
during the construction of
the underground caverns and
tailrace tunnel of the PS
scheme . The excavation of
the caverns was only possible
after completing grout
shields and drainage tunnels
around them. This photo
shows the huge spring which
had erupted from a gypsum-
breccias layer during the
tailrace tunnel excavation . A
great amount of grouting was
done to plug this spring
33. Mosul
Tikrit
Water Depth: 24 m
Time: 4 hr
Q: 405000m3
/sec
Water Depth: 4 m
Time: 38 hr
Q: 46000 m3
/sec
Water Depth: 15 m
Time: 22 hr
Q: 185000 m3
/sec
34.
35. • Projected loss of life from dam failure 500,000 (U.S.
Embassy est. 1.47 million)
• Flood wave will destroy the infrastructure of the cities on both
banks of the River Tigris downstream the dam to Baghdad.