2014/07/04 by K. M. Keranen, M. Weingarten, G. A. Abers +2 · 17 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques #Seismic Waves and Analysis #earthquake and tectonic studies
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1255802
openalex publication_date 2014/07/04 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Unconventional oil and gas production provides a rapidly growing energy source; however, high-production states in the United States, such as Oklahoma, face sharply rising numbers of earthquakes. Subsurface pressure data required to unequivocally link earthquakes to wastewater injection are rarely accessible. Here we use seismicity and hydrogeological models to show that fluid migration from high-rate disposal wells in Oklahoma is potentially responsible for the largest swarm. Earthquake hypocenters occur within disposal formations and upper basement, between 2- and 5-kilometer depth. The modeled fluid pressure perturbation propagates throughout the same depth range and tracks earthquakes to distances of 35 kilometers, with a triggering threshold of ~0.07 megapascals. Although thousands of disposal wells operate aseismically, four of the highest-rate wells are capable of inducing 20% of 2008 to 2013 central U.S. seismicity.