Impact of seismic source processes on ground motion variability of induced earthquakes in geothermal reservoirs, mines and laboratory experiments

• Applicant: Dr. Grzegorz Kwiatek, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Geophysics
• Term: from 2017 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 359163592

The need to refine and further develop reservoir engineering techniques such as stimulation of geothermal reservoirs, exploitation of deep mines and utilizing other geo-reservoirs poses fundamental questions to be addressed such as mitigation of induced seismicity large enough to be felt on the surface. Of special concern in studies of induced seismicity are larger magnitude earthquakes, which might pose an extraordinary threat to engineering structures, raise public-acceptance issues or even cause a life-threat to underground workers in mines.Frequently, distances between induced earthquakes and vulnerable objects (engineering structures, local communities) are very small, often not exceeding a few kilometers. As a consequence, actual processes occurring in seismic source present an important contribution to recorded ground motions and to potential loses and damages. This project aims to investigate the contribution of physical processes occurring in the earthquake source to the observed ground motion variability with a special focus on the seismicity induced by man-made exploitation of georesources. The project also aims at understanding interactions between technological operations (e.g. ore exploitation, fluid injection), geomechanical/geological conditions and obtained high resolution information on processes in earthquake source in order to understand and mitigate the seismic hazard related to earthquakes and occurrence of large magnitude events.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants