Improving the monitoring and analysis of induced earthquakes

地震有各种大小、深度和震级。它们中的绝大多数沿着主要的板块边界散发，主要是对构造力的响应。然而，越来越多的与工业活动有关的板内地震(也称为诱发地震)的报告频率和规模都在增加。其中一些诱发事件是由废水处理引发的，而另一些事件与页岩气地层的多级水力压裂作业有关，最明显的是在加拿大西部沉积盆地(WCSB)。 在接下来的5年里，我提出的研究计划将集中在WCSB的地震活动监测和分析上。它将结合被动震源现场部署和基于实验室的地震活动分析，特别是过去5年WCSB中诱发的地震。将在目标地区部署一个临时地震接收器网络，这将大大增加数据覆盖范围，并可能照亮活跃流体注入地区的地下断层。这项工作将得到一个全面的实验室计划的补充，该计划包括1)实时确定诱发地震的地点、深度、震级和机制等关键震源特征，2)地面运动的3D模拟，3)沉积物、地壳和上地幔的综合结构分析，以及4)断层滑动和地面速度的时间敏感变化。这项提议的结果将使人们对围绕主要注入操作的地下断层及其危害性有新的了解。震源参数、历史/速率和地面运动的及时确定对于理解诱发地震的起源(S)至关重要。与过去6年的情况一样，我们集团将继续与能源监管机构密切合作，并直接为未来能源相关行业实践的法规或政策做出贡献。 我将培训2名理科硕士。每年2名博士生，1名暑期本科生研究助理。研究项目将是独立但又相互联系的。我的研究计划的重点将形成加拿大西部地震风险长期研究的核心。该方案将支持对专门从事野外和定量地球物理关键方面的地球科学家的培训。几乎所有在过去6年中完成我的研究项目培训的学生目前都在世界一流大学、能源监管机构或大型石油天然气勘探公司担任长期或半长期职位。总体而言，我在未来5年的研究计划将显著提高我们对WCSB诱发地震的理解和监测能力。这些成果可能在不久的将来对环境和能源相关政策产生积极和直接的影响。

Earthquakes come in all sizes, depths and magnitudes. The vast majority of them transpire along major plate boundaries, largely in response to tectonic forces. However, a growing number of intra-plate earthquakes in connection with industrial activities (also known as induced earthquakes') are being reported at increasing frequencies and sizes. Some of these induced events are triggered by wastewater disposal, while others have been linked to multistage hydraulic fracturing operations on shale gas formation, most notably in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). In the next 5 years, my proposed research program will focus on the monitoring and analysis of seismicity in the WCSB. It will combine passive-source field deployments with laboratory-based analyses of seismicity, especially induced earthquakes in the past 5 years, in the WCSB. A temporary network of seismic receivers will be deployed in targeted areas, which will greatly increase the data coverage and potentially illuminate the subsurface faults in regions of active fluid injection. This effort will be complemented by a comprehensive laboratory program involving 1) real-time determination of critical source characteristics such as location, depth, magnitude and mechanism of induced earthquakes, 2) 3D simulations of ground motion, 3) integrated structural analyses of the sediment, crust and upper mantle, and 4) time-sensitive changes in fault slip and ground velocity. The outcomes of this proposal will shed new light on the subsurface faults and their criticality surrounding major injection operations. The timely determination of source parameters, history/rates and ground motions will be crucial for the understanding of the origin(s) of induced earthquakes. As has been the case in the past 6 years, our group will continue to work closely with the energy regulators and directly contribute to future regulations or policies on energy-related industrial practices. I will be training 2 M.Sc. and 2 Ph.D. students, as well as 1 summer undergraduate research assistant each year. Research projects will be independent yet connected. The focus of my research program will form the nucleus for long-term studies of seismic risks in western Canada. This program will support the training of geoscientists specializing in critical aspects of field and quantitative geophysics. Nearly all students who completed their training in my research program in the past 6 years are currently holding permanent or semi-permanent positions at world-leading universities, energy regulatory agencies or major oil-gas exploration companies. Overall, my research program in the next 5 years will significantly improve our understanding of, and our ability to monitor, induced earthquakes in the WCSB. The outcomes could make a positive and direct impact on environmental and energy-related policies in the near future.