Central Europe: Active or residual tectonic stresses

Greiner, Gerhard; Illies, Joachim

doi:10.1007/bf01637094

Cited by 56 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…d) and e) Estimates of sHmax orientation in the crystalline basement derived from various borehole measurements and the inversion of focal mechanisms of earthquakes (the areas of uniform stress defined by the earthquake populations used in the inversions are outlined). the key to the datapoint numbers are as follows: 1/2/3/4 (becker et al 1987; blümling 1986); 5/6 (Wolter 1987);7 (becker and Paladini, 1992;rummel & baumgaerner 1987);8 (baumgärtner & Zoback 1989);9 reinecker et al (2005); 20 (Gysel 1975);21/22/23 (becker et al 1987;blümling 1986); 24/25 26/27/28/30 (becker et al 1987);31 (becker & Werner 1995); 32/33 (Greiner & Illies 1977);34/35 (cornet & burlet 1992); 36 (Leopoldt 1979). the sHmax-orientation results from the two boreholes with those from near-surface stress measurements conducted above the evaporite horizon in the vicinity of basel.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress orientation to 5 km depth in the basement below Basel (Switzerland) from borehole failure analysis

Valley

Evans

2009

Swiss J. Geosci.

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A vertical profile of maximum horizontal principal stress, sHmax, orientation to 5 km depth was obtained beneath the swiss city of basel from observations of wellbore failure derived from ultrasonic televiewer images obtained in two 1 km distant near-vertical boreholes: a 2755 m exploration well (Ot2) imaged from 2550 m to 2753 m across the granitic basement-sediment interface at 2649 m; and a 5 km deep borehole (bs1) imaged entirely within the granite from 2569 m to 4992 m. stress-related wellbore failure in the form of breakouts or drilling-induced tension fractures (DItFs) occurs throughout the depth range of the logs with breakouts predominant. Within the granite, DItFs are intermittently present, and breakouts more or less continuously present over all but the uppermost 100 m where they are sparse. the mean sHmax orientations from DItFs is 151 ± 13° whereas breakouts yield 143 ± 14°, the combined value weighted for frequency of occurrence being N144°E ± 14°. No marked depth dependence in mean sHmax orientation averaged over several hundred meters depth intervals is evident. this mean sHmax orientation for the granite is consistent with the results of the inversion of populations of focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes occurring between depths of 10-15 km within regions immediately to the north and south of basel, and with the t-axis of events occurring within the reservoir (Deichmann and Ernst, this volume). DItFs and breakouts identified in Ot2 above and below the sediment-basement interface suggest that a change in sHmax orientation to N115°E ± 12° within the rotliegendes sandstone occurs near its interface with the basement. the origin of the 20-30° change is uncertain, as is its lateral extent. the logs do not extend higher than 80 m above the interface, and so the data do not define whether a further change in stress orientation occurs at the evaporites. Near-surface measurements taken within 50 km of basel suggest a mean orientation of N-s, albeit with large variability, as do the orientation of hydrofractures at depths up to 850 m within and above the evaporite layers and an active salt diapir, also within 50 km of basel. thus, the available evidence supports the notion that the orientation of sHmax above the evaporites is on average more N-s oriented and thus differs from the NW-sE inferred for the basement from the bs1/Os2 wellbore failure data and the earthquake data. changes in stress orientation with depth can have significant practical consequences for the development of an EGs reservoir, and serve to emphasise the importance of obtaining estimates from within the target rock mass.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress orientation to 5 km depth in the basement below Basel (Switzerland) from borehole failure analysis

Valley

Evans

2009

Swiss J. Geosci.

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“…Many data concerning the stress field are available for the Black Forest, both from direct stress measurements and from focal mechanisms. Greiner and Illies [1977] conducted overcoring stress measurements at shallow depth. One of their sites (Kleinkems, 47.40øN, 7.3 IøE, point 21 on the map) is located on the other side of the Rhine river on an upper Jurassic limestone, slightly to the south of Wittelsheim.…”

Section: Rhine Grabenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress field determinations in France by hydraulic tests in boreholes

Cornet¹,

Burlet²

1992

J. Geophys. Res.

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The stress field has been determined at eight different sites in France (four in crystalline or metamorphic rocks, four in sedimentary formations) by hydraulic tests in boreholes. For seven of these sites the complete stress field has been determined using the hydraulic tests on pre‐existing fractures (HTPF) inversion method. Validity of the results is demonstrated by the good fit between a priori and a posteriori values for the data and by the low values of the a posteriori standard deviation on the unknowns. For four sites, results have been compared with those derived according to the hydraulic fracturing theory. The two methods yield comparable results for the orientation of the maximum horizontal principal stress σH, a generally satisfactory fit for the magnitude of the minimum horizontal principal stress σh, but a very poor agreement for the magnitude of σH. This latter misfit has been attributed to the effect of fluid percolation prior to the actual opening of the fractures. Below a depth of 500 m, a homogeneous σH direction (N150°E) has been determined at the crystalline sites (Auriat, Echassières, Le Mayet de Montagne, Chassoles), all located in the northern Massif Central. For three of these sites the vertical stress is significantly lower than the weight of overburden as computed from the rock density and the depth of the corresponding measurement. At Auriat and Echassières the stress field is consistent with a mostly strike‐slip faulting regime. At Le Mayet de Montagne and Chassoles the maximum stress is vertical but nearly equal to σH. The stress field has been found to be much more heterogeneous at two of the four sites in sedimentary rocks because of the large variability in mechanical rock properties. In such heterogeneous formations, inversion with the HTPF method must be limited to those data which pertain to the same rock horizon. However, because of its structure this heterogeneity does not restrict the possibility of defining large‐scale uniform principal stress directions. All the results are consistent with the local seismotectonics.

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“…The results of a number of recent studies indicate that there exist provinces within which the state of crustal stress appears to be uniform [e.g., Greiner and Illies, 1977; $bar and Haimson, 1977;Raleigh, 1974;Froidevaux et al, 1980]. In a comprehensive study of the state of stress in the conterminous United States, Zoback and Zoback [1980a] concluded that the stress provinces range in size from 100 to 2000 km and are separated by zones of transition as narrow as 75 km or less (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of states of stress between provinces of constant stress

McGarr¹

1982

J. Geophys. Res.

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Recent studies have indicated the existence of crustal provinces or domains within which the state of stress shows little apparent horizontal variation. Between provinces the state of stress may undergo substantial changes, often over remarkably short distances. As analyzed here, the transition in stress state between adjacent domains is caused by shear tractions acting on the base of the elastic‐brittle layer and is mediated by a stress field within a zone between the provinces that can be determined by solving the equations of force equilibrium and stress compatibility. The component of horizontal stress oriented perpendicular to the provincial boundary changes smoothly across the transition zone from one province to the other, whereas the horizontal stress oriented parallel to the boundary shows smaller but discontinuous changes. The horizontal component of shear stress is unlikely to change from one province to another because of the implausible nature of the required basal traction; thus, in this regard, states of stress in adjacent domains appear to be coupled. The coincidence of a number of stress transition zones with boundaries defined by heat flow suggests that in many cases the basal tractions are the result of thermally induced mass transport below the elastic‐brittle layer in the direction of increasing horizontal compressive stress. This analysis provides a quantitative relationship between changes in the stress field measured in the upper portion of the crust and shear stresses acting on the base of the elastic‐brittle layer.

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Central Europe: Active or residual tectonic stresses

Cited by 56 publications

References 10 publications

Stress orientation to 5 km depth in the basement below Basel (Switzerland) from borehole failure analysis

Stress orientation to 5 km depth in the basement below Basel (Switzerland) from borehole failure analysis

Stress field determinations in France by hydraulic tests in boreholes

Analysis of states of stress between provinces of constant stress

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