Seismotectonics of the central United States and probabilistic assessment of injection induced earthquakes
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- I explore geomechanics of faults and fractures in the central United States. In chapter 2 I show the significant increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma, and it's relationship with saltwater disposal operations. I hypothesize that increased fluid pressure from injection unclamps Oklahoma faults. In chapter 3, I probabilistically explore the known faults in Oklahoma and assuming a pressure perturbation on each, I evaluate the probability of induced fault slip, given uncertainties in mechanics constrained from moment tensor inversion and confirmed with wellbore stress indicators. The result is a traffic light colored fault map. In chapter 4, this hypothesis is generalized into a graphical user interface and probabilistic geomechanics are combined with a radial flow hydrologic model to evaluate the probability that a known fault might exceed coulomb slip criteria. Chapter 5 moves away from induced seismicity to constrain stresses and look at natural fractures in the Piceance Basin, Colorado, exploring the potential for deviated drilling in the Mesaverde section, but fails to add to the case that this is warranted. Chapter 6 applies ambient noise tomography to the central and eastern US, exploring velocity and attenuation around the New Madrid fault zone.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2017 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Walsh, Frederick Rall III |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Geophysics. |
| Primary advisor | Zoback, Mark D |
| Thesis advisor | Zoback, Mark D |
| Thesis advisor | Beroza, Gregory C. (Gregory Christian) |
| Thesis advisor | Mavko, Gary, 1949- |
| Advisor | Beroza, Gregory C. (Gregory Christian) |
| Advisor | Mavko, Gary, 1949- |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Frederick Rall Walsh, III. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Geophysics. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2017. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2017 by Frederick Rall Walsh
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (CC BY).
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