Impoundment-associated Hydro-mechanical Changes and Regional Seismicity near the Xiluodu Reservoir, Southwestern China

Zhang, Man; Ge, Shemin; Yang, Qiang; Ma, Xiaodong

doi:10.1002/essoar.10505558.1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…On the basis of geophysical logs and field testing in the West Shale Basin in Canada, they developed a quantitative 3D stress distribution model for determining the maximum and minimum horizontal stress, vertical stress, stress orientation, as well as ambient pore pressure. These variables are then used to evaluate the mechanical stability of the faults in the area of interest (Snee & Zoback, 2018; Zhang et al., 2021). Seismic hazard forecasts rely on the assessment of historical natural earthquakes and probabilities of earthquake magnitudes, frequency, location, as well as ground mechanical properties (Cornell, 1968).…”

Section: Future Research Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Induced Seismicity During Geoenergy Development—A Hydromechanical Perspective

Saar

2022

JGR Solid Earth

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The basic triggering mechanism underlying induced seismicity traces back to the mid‐1960s that relied on the process of pore‐fluid pressure diffusion. The last decade has experienced a renaissance of induced seismicity research and data proliferation. An unprecedent opportunity is presented to us to synthesize the robust growth in knowledge. The objective of this article is to provide a concise review of the triggering mechanisms of induced earthquakes with a focus on hydro‐mechanical processes. Four mechanisms are reviewed: pore‐fluid pressure diffusion, poroelastic stress, Coulomb static stress transfer, and aseismic slip. For each, an introduction of the concept is presented, followed by case studies. Diving into these mechanisms sheds light on several outstanding questions. For example, why did some earthquakes occur far from fluid injection or after injection stopped? Our review converges on the following conclusions: (a) Pore‐fluid pressure diffusion remains a basic mechanism for initiating inducing seismicity in the near‐field. (b) Poroelastic stresses and aseismic slip play an important role in inducing seismicity in regions beyond the influence of pore‐fluid pressure diffusion. (c) Coulomb static stress transfer from earlier seismicity is shown to be a viable mechanism for increasing stresses on mainshock faults. (d) Multiple mechanisms have operated concurrently or consecutively at most induced seismicity sites. (e) Carbon dioxide injection is succeeding without inducing earthquakes and much can be learned from its success. Future research opportunities exist in deepening the understanding of physical and chemical processes in the nexus of geoenergy development and fluid motion in the Earth’s crust.

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Section: Future Research Opportunitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Induced Seismicity During Geoenergy Development—A Hydromechanical Perspective

Saar

2022

JGR Solid Earth

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“…We note that our seasonal results show increased Coulomb stress changes than the two previously mentioned studies due to the much larger and more condensed volume of water as well as the fact that our model derives stress on idealized fault planes (as opposed to actual fault geometries that are likely not oriented in such an idealized manner). Further, recent work by Zhang et al (2020) where they modeled Coulomb stress changes from reservoir loading and unloading in China has shown that stress changes on the order of 1-100 kPa were found ranging from the surface down to depths of 15 km. These stresses were modeled according to the typical fault geometries in the region and are more aligned with the results from within this research.…”

Section: Seasonal Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coulomb stress analysis for several filling and operational scenarios at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam impoundment

Madson

Sheng

2021

Environ Earth Sci

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Increased demand for power generation coupled with changing seasonal water uncertainty has caused a worldwide increase in the construction of large hydrologic engineering structures. That said, the soon-to-be-completed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will impound the Blue Nile River in Western Ethiopia and its reservoir will encompass ~ 1763 km2 and store ~ 67 Gt (km3) of surface water. The impoundment will undergo maximum seasonal load changes of ~ 28 to ~ 36 Gt during projected seasonal hydroelectric operations. The GERD impoundment will cause significant subsurficial stresses, and could possibly trigger seismicity in the region. This study examines Coulomb stress and hydrologic load centroid movements for several GERD impoundment and operational scenarios. The maximum subsurficial Coulomb stress applied on optimally oriented fault planes from the full impoundment is ~ 186 kPa and over 30% of our model domain incurs Coulomb stresses ≥ 10 kPa, regardless of the impoundment period length. The main driver behind Coulomb stress and load centroid motion during impoundment is the annual, accumulated daily reservoir storage change. The maximum Coulomb stresses from the highest amplitude season of five long-term operational scenarios are around 36, 33, 29, 41, and 24% of the total maximum stresses from the entire GERD impoundment. Variations in annual Coulomb stresses during modeled GERD operations are attributed to the seasonal load per unit area, and partially to the initial seasonal water level. The spatial patterns and amplitudes of these stress tensors are closely linked to both the size and timing of GERD inflow/outflow rates, and an improved understanding of the magnitude and extent of these stresses provides useful information to water managers to better understand potential reservoir triggered seismic events from several different operational and impoundment strategies.

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Impoundment-associated Hydro-mechanical Changes and Regional Seismicity near the Xiluodu Reservoir, Southwestern China

Cited by 2 publications

References 79 publications

Review: Induced Seismicity During Geoenergy Development—A Hydromechanical Perspective

Review: Induced Seismicity During Geoenergy Development—A Hydromechanical Perspective

Coulomb stress analysis for several filling and operational scenarios at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam impoundment

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