An Investigation of Seismicity Induced by Hydraulic Fracturing in the Sichuan Basin of China Based on Data from a Temporary Seismic Network

Abstract

Research Article| January 15, 2019 An Investigation of Seismicity Induced by Hydraulic Fracturing in the Sichuan Basin of China Based on Data from a Temporary Seismic Network Lingyuan Meng; Lingyuan Meng aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, California 94025. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Arthur McGarr; Arthur McGarr bU.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, California 94025 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Longquan Zhou; Longquan Zhou aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Yang Zang Yang Zang aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Lingyuan Meng aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, California 94025. Arthur McGarr bU.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, California 94025 Longquan Zhou aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] Yang Zang aChina Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), No.5. Sanlihenanheng Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100045, China, [e-mail] Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 15 Jan 2019 Online Issn: 1943-3573 Print Issn: 0037-1106 © Seismological Society of America Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2019) 109 (1): 348–357. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120180310 Article history First Online: 15 Jan 2019 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Lingyuan Meng, Arthur McGarr, Longquan Zhou, Yang Zang; An Investigation of Seismicity Induced by Hydraulic Fracturing in the Sichuan Basin of China Based on Data from a Temporary Seismic Network. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2019;; 109 (1): 348–357. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120180310 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract Hydraulic fracturing has been inferred to trigger the majority of injection‐induced seismicity in the Zhaotong and Changning shale gas field, Sichuan basin of China, in contrast to the Midwestern United States, where massive wastewater disposal has been the dominant triggering mechanism. More than 15,000 earthquakes, with magnitudes ranging up to Mw 4.7, were recorded by a temporary network in the Sichuan basin for three years, with a completeness magnitude of ML 1.1. A catalog of earthquakes relocated with code tomoDD, combined with comprehensive injection data during an eight day period, shows that the earthquakes were highly correlated spatiotemporally with hydraulic fracturing activities mostly from a single well pad. Three ML≥4.0 events occurred during hydraulic fracturing operations from 12 to 19 January 2017, followed by the fourth and largest event, with moment magnitude (⁠Mw⁠) 4.7, on 28 January. The hypocenters of the four largest events were located in dolomite of Cambrian age, between a shale gas reservoir and the top of the crystalline basement rocks. This was found to be similar to 60% of the smaller earthquakes in this cluster, at depths from 2.5 to 4.0 km. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.