Monitoring of microseismic emissions for periods of 10–30 days has established a clear relationship between solid earth tides and microseismic activity. In addition, an event magnitude versus recurrence relationship has been established that can be used to predict oil, gas, or water content of open fractures in imaged rock volumes. Originally developed to explore for oil and gas, the detection technology used has been applied in Eurasia, the Middle East, and Texas. When visualized in three dimensions at scales of several kilometers on a side, including depth, the observations shows systems of subvertical fracture volumes distributed as clusters in the subsurface. When visualized in sequential time windows, microseismic activity can be seen to respond in detail to lunar-solar gravitational changes. The seismic imaging technology used to detect the location and temporal changes within these fracture systems is based on deploying geophone receiver arrays using array patterns and processing algorithms similar to those used in phased array radar in the electromagnetic spectrum. This passive listening technology has been termed seismic location of emission centers (SLEC). Examples of applied SLEC monitoring are presented for surveys performed in Russia and Texas.
Despite our understanding of the different mechanisms of man-made earthquakes, their short-term prediction and prevention is yet to be attained. In this study, we propose an integrated four-step approach to predict and prevent man-made earthquakes or reduce their chance of occurrence. Our four-step approach includes: 1) locating the highly anomalous zones of microseismic emission (MSE) that result from the stress-deformed state inside a geological formation and often represents the "seismic nuclei" for impending earthquakes, 2) Monitoring the variations and dynamics of the anomalous MSE zones over a 15 period of one lunar month, 3) inducing a creep-discharging of the MSE zones using a vibroseis seismic source at the ground surface, and 4) monitoring the same MSE zones following the creep-discharge to determine whether the stress-deformed state was released and the chance of potential earthquake occurrence has been eliminated or reduced. The proposed full four-step approach has never implemented at one single location. Nevertheless, the steps have been tested separately at different sites and have proven successful. We propose conducting the full four-step approach at various locations of potential man-made 20 earthquake activities around the world including the state of Oklahoma in the United States.
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