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H2020Individual fellowship2015–2017

FEAT · The role of Fluid pressure in EArthquake Triggering

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-12-01 → 2017-11-30
EU contribution
€180,277
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

The role of Fluid pressure in EArthquake Triggering

In recent years, human induced seismicity associated with underground wastewater disposal and fluid injection has become a matter of societal concern. During oil/gas extraction and hydraulic fracturing large amounts of contaminated water (i.e., wastewater) are produced and generally re-injected at high pressure within subsurface permeable formations. These operations modify the subsurface stress field causing seismicity rates to increase dramatically in regions far from active tectonic margins, and stable continental regions like the Western Canada Sedimentary basin and the central United States have seen sharp increases of moderate to large earthquakes, with Mw > 5 events becoming common. In Europe, induced earthquakes during fluid pressure stimulation of subsurface reservoirs have been documented in several notable cases including Switzerland, southern Italy and the Netherlands. In this context, understand how fluid pressure interacts with faults is of primary importance to produce comprehensive models to evaluate the seismic hazard related to injection of fluids at depth. However, the role of fluid pressure in fault stability represent a conundrum in earthquake physics. Fluid overpressure has been proposed as one of the primary mechanisms that facilitate earthquake slip along tectonic faults. However, elastic dislocation theory combined with Rate- and State Friction (RSF) laws suggests that fluid overpressure may inhibit the dynamic instabilities that result in earthquakes. This controversy poses a serious problem in our understanding of earthquake physics, with severe implications for both natural and human-induced seismic hazard. The overall objective of FEAT is to produce a comprehensive experimental study on the role of fluid pressure on fault frictional stability to shed light on the physical processes at the origin of induced seismicity.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Fluid overpressure has been proposed as one of the primary mechanisms that facilitate earthquake slip along tectonic faults. However, elastic dislocation theory combined with friction laws suggests that fluid overpressure may inhibit the dynamic instabilities that result in earthquakes. This controversy poses a serious problem in our understanding of earthquake physics, with severe implications for both natural and human-induced seismic hazard. Nevertheless, currently, there are only a few systematic studies of the role of fluid pressure under controlled, laboratory conditions for which the evolution of friction parameters and slip stability can be deduced. Here I propose a comprehensive experimental study of The role of Fluid pressure in EArthquake Triggering (FEAT). The proposed work will document the evolution of fault friction parameters as a function of fluid overpressure using a world-class rock deformation apparatus. The laboratory experiments will build on the characterization of fault zone structure, fluid flow, and deformation processes, which I intend to reconstruct from careful field evaluations of ancient faults that represent exhumed analogues of seismically active structures. An important part of my work will be the interaction with the energy industry to investigate the role of fluids in induced seismicity. The experimental work will strengthen my expertise in frictional and fluid flow characterisation of fault rocks. Additionally, I will develop new skills in electronic and mechanical engineering aspects of experiments. Field and microstructural work will widen my background in the field of structural geology, microstructural analysis and model construction using energy-industry software. These training-through-research activities will allow for the creation of unprecedented insight into the role of fluid pressure in earthquake triggering while broadening my competences via interdisciplinary studies and inter-sectorial experience.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA · RomaCoordinatorItaly

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union