Geomechanical Pollution

Abstract

Concerns about global warming have prompted investigations into the disposal of CO₂ into deep rock formations. This option is attractive since there are regionally extensive aquifers capable of accepting large volumes of CO₂ from power plants. However, applications of the technology to populated areas may involve environmental and socio-economic hazards of earthquakes, if the injection facilities are not properly sited and operated. This research proposal focuses on a semi-quantitative analysis of geoengineering activities like fluid injections related to anthropogenic seismicity. The research work aims at classifying site-specific characteristics of injection-induced earthquakes from a global perspective by methods of geoinformation processing based on fuzzy set theory, neural computation, and information theory. Relationships should be demonstrated between the geology, deep well injections/pumpings, and their potential earthquake hazards. The long-term goal of the research investigations is to use the achieved findings to improve methods of geoinformation processing for seismic-geological interpretation and characterisation purposes. They should support safety management decisions.

The problematic issue of geomechanical pollution, which is mostly on stable continental regions (SCRs), such as NE-America, Eurasia, Australia, Africa, is that the upper SCR-crust is generally strong and many large (M_w 4.5-8.0) natural SCR-earthquakes nucleate close to the surface (< 8 km), with severe implications for hazard. This general issue becomes more important, when human activities are more likely to cause significant stress changes in the depth range for nucleation of SCR-earthquakes than for earthquakes in active continental regions (California, Japan, Mediterranean area). On the other hand, the tendency of SCR-earthquakes to occur in sequences and to rupture downward offers an opportunity for improving hazard estimates.

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