Dynamic rock fracture and induced seismicity

理解岩石变形和断裂在自然界的所有尺度上都是重要的。这些过程从导致实验室岩石样品和原位岩体中微裂纹优先排列的粒间微裂纹，到由于沿着关键岩石圈板块边界破裂而导致的大规模地震。因此，压裂直接影响地震行为、力学性质、岩石流体相互作用和工程应用。 该研究将利用多伦多大学独特的实验岩石变形和地球物理成像仪器，在实验室中模拟地球的真实三维应力、热和流体条件，以研究动态岩石断裂和诱发地震活动。实验室实验和微观力学建模技术将用于开展与地震和断层力学以及岩石中的流体输运有关的岩石断裂物理学的创新科学。该研究将提供对自然环境中发生的基本和根本过程的重要见解，包括地震和火山过程，断层成核，流体的关键作用以及热-水力-机械应力耦合的复杂性质。此外，这项研究还将为各种工业应用提供新的知识和技术，如矿山岩爆和诱发地震活动、利用水力压裂和诱发地震活动提高油气回收率、地热能回收、放射性废物的深层地质处置问题和碳固存。

Understanding rock deformation and fracture is important at all scales in nature. Such processes vary from intergranular microcracking, leading to preferential alignment of microcracks in laboratory rock samples and in situ rock masses, to massive earthquakes due to rupture along key lithospheric plate boundaries. Thus, fracturing contributes directly to seismic behaviour, mechanical properties, rock fluid interactions, and engineering applications. The research will utilize unique experimental rock deformation and geophysical imaging instrumentation at the University of Toronto to simulate in the laboratory true 3D stress, thermal and fluid conditions in the Earth to study dynamic rock fracture and induced seismicity. The laboratory experiments and micromechanical modeling techniques will be used to carry out innovative science on the physics of rock fracture with relevance to earthquake and fault mechanics and fluid transport in rocks. The research will provide significant insight into the basic and fundamental processes occurring in the natural environment, including earthquake and volcanic processes, fault nucleation, the critical role of fluids and the complex nature of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical stresses. In addition, this research will provide new knowledge and techniques for a wide variety of industrial applications, such as rockbursts and induced seismicity in mines, enhanced hydrocarbon recovery using hydraulic fracturing and induced seismicity, geothermal energy recovery, deep geological disposal issues for radioactive waste and carbon sequestration.