TY - JOUR
T1 - Seismic Slip-Pulse Experiments Simulate Induced Earthquake Rupture in the Groningen Gas Field
AU - Hunfeld, Luuk B.
AU - Chen, Jianye
AU - Niemeijer, André R.
AU - Ma, Shengli
AU - Spiers, Christopher J.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Rock materials show dramatic dynamic weakening in large-displacement (m), high-velocity (∼1 m/s) friction experiments, providing a mechanism for the generation of large, natural earthquakes. However, whether such weakening occurs during induced M3-4 earthquakes (dm displacements) is unknown. We performed rotary-shear experiments on simulated fault gouges prepared from the source-, reservoir- and caprock formations present in the seismogenic Groningen gas field (Netherlands). Water-saturated gouges were subjected to a slip pulse reaching a peak circumferential velocity of 1.2–1.7 m/s and total displacements of 13–20 cm, at 2.5–20 MPa normal stress. The results show 22%–81% dynamic weakening within 5–12 cm of slip, depending on normal stress and gouge composition. At 20 MPa normal stress, dynamic weakening from peak friction coefficients of 0.4–0.9 to 0.19–0.27 was observed, probably through thermal pressurization. We infer that similar effects play a key role during induced seismic slip on faults in the Groningen and other reservoir systems.
AB - Rock materials show dramatic dynamic weakening in large-displacement (m), high-velocity (∼1 m/s) friction experiments, providing a mechanism for the generation of large, natural earthquakes. However, whether such weakening occurs during induced M3-4 earthquakes (dm displacements) is unknown. We performed rotary-shear experiments on simulated fault gouges prepared from the source-, reservoir- and caprock formations present in the seismogenic Groningen gas field (Netherlands). Water-saturated gouges were subjected to a slip pulse reaching a peak circumferential velocity of 1.2–1.7 m/s and total displacements of 13–20 cm, at 2.5–20 MPa normal stress. The results show 22%–81% dynamic weakening within 5–12 cm of slip, depending on normal stress and gouge composition. At 20 MPa normal stress, dynamic weakening from peak friction coefficients of 0.4–0.9 to 0.19–0.27 was observed, probably through thermal pressurization. We infer that similar effects play a key role during induced seismic slip on faults in the Groningen and other reservoir systems.
KW - dynamic weakening
KW - fault gouge friction
KW - Groningen gas field
KW - high-velocity slip-pulse experiments
KW - induced seismicity
KW - thermal pressurization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107621216&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2021GL092417
DO - 10.1029/2021GL092417
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107621216
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 48
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 11
M1 - e2021GL092417
ER -