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Stress Distribution During Cold Compression of Rocks and Mineral Aggregates Using Synchrotron-based X-Ray Diffraction
Published on: May 20, 2018
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Ridgecrest aftershocks at Coso suppressed by thermal destressing.
Kyungjae Im1, Jean-Philippe Avouac2, Elías R Heimisson2,3
1Geology and Planetary Science Division, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. kjim@caltech.edu.
Nature
|July 1, 2021
Summary
Geothermal heat production at Coso depleted fault stresses, preventing aftershocks from the Ridgecrest earthquake. This destressing also altered faulting style and could potentially impede large earthquake propagation.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Seismology
- Geothermal Energy
Background:
- Geothermal and volcanic regions are susceptible to earthquake triggering.
- The Coso geothermal field is located near the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake's surface ruptures.
- Despite expected stress changes, no aftershocks were observed in the Coso field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate why the Coso geothermal field did not experience aftershocks following the Ridgecrest earthquake.
- To understand the impact of long-term geothermal heat production on local seismicity and stress accumulation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of seismic data from the Coso geothermal field.
- Modeling of stress changes within the geothermal reservoir due to heat production.
- Comparison of stress conditions before and after the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence.
Main Results:
- 30 years of geothermal heat production at Coso significantly depleted shear stresses within the reservoir.
- Thermal contraction initially caused seismicity but later reduced stress available for aftershocks.
- The destressing altered the faulting style and inhibited aftershock triggering.
Conclusions:
- Geothermal energy extraction can lead to significant stress depletion in reservoirs.
- This stress depletion can prevent earthquake aftershocks and alter fault behavior.
- Destressed zones may potentially hinder the propagation of large seismic events.
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