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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

USGS2016

Along-strike variations in fault frictional properties along the San Andreas Fault near Cholame, California from joint earthquake and low-frequency earthquake relocations

Recent observations of low‐frequency earthquakes (LFEs) and tectonic tremor along the Parkfield–Cholame segment of the San Andreas fault suggest slow‐slip earthquakes occur in a transition zone between the shallow fault, which accommodates slip by a combination of aseismic creep and earthquakes (<15  km depth), and the deep fault, which accommodates slip by stable sliding (>35  km depth). However, the spatial relationship between shallow earthquakes and LFEs remains unclear. Here, we present precise relocations of 34 earthquakes and 34 LFEs recorded during a temporary deployment of 13 broadband seismic stations from May 2010 to July 2011. We use the temporary array waveform data, along with data from permanent seismic stations and a new high‐resolution 3D velocity model, to illuminate the fine‐scale details of the seismicity distribution near Cholame and the relation to the distribution of LFEs. The depth of the boundary between earthquakes and LFE hypocenters changes along strike and roughly follows the 350°C isotherm, suggesting frictional behavior may be, in part, thermally controlled. We observe no overlap in the depth of earthquakes and LFEs, with an &sim;5  km separation between the deepest earthquakes and shallowest LFEs. In addition, clustering in the relocated seismicity near the 2004 M w 6.0 Parkfield earthquake hypocenter and near the northern boundary of the 1857 M w 7.8 Fort Tejon rupture may highlight areas of frictional heterogeneities on the fault where earthquakes tend to nucleate.

California↗

USGS2022

Using machine learning techniques with incomplete polarity datasets to improve earthquake focal mechanism determination

Earthquake focal mechanisms are traditionally produced using P ‐wave first‐motion polarities and commonly require well‐recorded seismicity. A recent approach that is less dependent on high signal‐to‐noise exploits similar waveforms to produce relative polarity measurements between earthquake pairs. Utilizing these relative polarity measurements, it is possible to produce composite focal mechanisms for clusters within microseismic sequences using regional networks. However, missing or low‐confidence polarity measurements still limit our ability to calculate high‐quality composite focal mechanisms. Here, we replaced unreliable polarity measurements with estimates using iterative random forests, an unsupervised ensemble machine learning method. Using the imputed (“replaced”) polarity data, we then categorically clustered the events into families. As a case study, we applied this modified composite mechanism workflow to a multistation template matched catalog of an earthquake swarm that occurred during 2020 near the Maacama fault in northern California. We found that our modified methodology produced higher‐quality earthquake families and improved composite focal mechanisms, with fault‐plane uncertainties <35° for 94% of the families compared with 34% of families using the previous methodology.

Seismological Research Letters↗

USGS2004

Revisiting the 23 February 1892 Laguna Salada earthquake

According to some compilations, the Laguna Salada, Baja California, earthquake of 23 February 1892 ranks among the largest earthquakes in California and Baja California in historic times. Although surface rupture was not documented at the time of the earthquake, recent geologic investigations have identified and mapped a rupture on the Laguna Salada fault that can be associated with high probability with the 1892 event (Mueller and Rockwell, 1995). The only intensity-based magnitude estimate for the earthquake, M 7.8, was made by Strand (1980) based on an interpretation of macroseismic effects and a comparison of isoseismal areas with those from instrumentally recorded earthquakes. In this study we reinterpret original accounts of the Laguna Salada earthquake. We assign modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) values in keeping with current practice, focusing on objective descriptions of damage rather than subjective human response and not assigning MMI values to effects that are now known to be poor indicators of shaking level, such as liquefaction and rockfalls. The reinterpreted isoseismal contours and the estimated magnitude are both significantly smaller than those obtained earlier. Using the method of Bakun and Wentworth (1997) we obtain a magnitude estimate of M 7.2 and an optimal epicenter less than 15 km from the center of the mapped Laguna Salada rupture. The isoseismal contours are elongated toward the northwest, which is qualitatively consistent with a directivity effect, assuming that the fault ruptured from southeast to northwest. We suggest that the elongation may also thus reflect wave propagation effects, with more efficient propagation of crustal surface (Lg) waves in the direction of the overall regional tectonic fabric.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2017

Geodetic slip model of the 3 September 2016 Mw 5.8 Pawnee, Oklahoma, earthquake: Evidence for fault‐zone collapse

The 3 September 2016 M w 5.8 Pawnee earthquake in northern Oklahoma is the largest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma. The coseismic deformation was measured with both Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and Global Positioning System (GPS), with measureable signals of order 1 cm and 1 mm, respectively. We derive a coseismic slip model from Sentinel‐1A and Radarsat 2 interferograms and GPS static offsets, dominated by distributed left‐lateral strike slip on a primary west‐northwest–east‐southeast‐trending subvertical plane, whereas strike slip is concentrated near the hypocenter (5.6 km depth), with maximum slip of ∼1 m located slightly east and down‐dip of the hypocenter. Based on systematic misfits of observed interferogram line‐of‐sight (LoS) displacements, with LoS based on shear‐dislocation models, a few decimeters of fault‐zone collapse are inferred in the hypocentral region where coseismic slip was the largest. This may represent the postseismic migration of large volumes of fluid away from the high‐slip areas, made possible by the creation of a temporary high‐permeability damage zone around the fault.

Oklahoma↗

USGS2021

Short‐period surface‐wave tomography in the continental United States— A resource for research

The variation of phase and group velocity dispersion of Love and Rayleigh waves was determined for the continental United States and adjacent Canada. By processing ambient noise from the broadband channels of the Transportable Array (TA) of USArray and several Program for the Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere experiments and using some earthquake recordings, the effort was focused on determining dispersion down to periods as short as 2 s. The relatively short distances between TA stations permitted the use of a 25    km × 25    km "> 25 km × 25 km grid for the four independent tomographic inversions (Love and Rayleigh and phase and group velocity). One reason for trying to obtain short‐period dispersion was to have a data set capable of constraining upper crust velocity models for use in determining regional moment tensors. The benefit of focusing on short‐period dispersion is apparent in the tomography maps—shallow geologic structures such as the Mid‐Continent Rift, and the Michigan, Illinois, Anadarko, Arkoma, and Appalachian basins are imaged. In our processing, we noted that the phase velocities were more robustly determined than the group velocities. We also noted that the inability to obtain dispersion at short periods shows distinct regional patterns that may be related to the local upper crust structure.

Seismological Research Letters↗

USGS2025

Combining multisite tsunami and deformation modeling to constrain slip distributions for the 1700 C.E. Cascadia earthquake

A major earthquake ruptured the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) on 26 January 1700. Key paleoseismic evidence associated with this event include tsunami deposits, stratigraphic evidence of coastal coseismic subsidence, written Japanese records of a tsunami unaccompanied by earthquake shaking, and margin‐wide turbidites found offshore and in lacustrine environments. Despite this wealth of independent clues, important details about this event remain unresolved. Dating uncertainties do not conclusively establish whether the proxies are from one earthquake or a sequence of them, and we have limited knowledge of the likely slip distributions of the event or events. Here, we use a catalog of 37,500 candidate synthetic ruptures between M w 7.8 and 9.2 and simulate their resulting coseismic deformation and tsunami inundation. Each model is then compared against estimated Japan tsunami arrivals, regional coastal subsidence records, and local paleotsunami deposits mapped at six different coastal marshes and one coastal lake along the CSZ. We find that seven full‐margin ruptures with a median magnitude of M w 9.1 satisfy all three constraints. We favor one M w 9.11 model that best matches all site paleoseismic observations and suggests that the Cascadia megathrust slipped up to ∼30 m and must have shallow geodetic coupling. We also find that some sequences composed of three or four ruptures can still satisfy the observations, yet no sequences of two ruptures can. Sequences are differentiated into three groups based on whether they contain a mainshock rupture located in the south (>44° N) or further north. All sequences contain unruptured portions of the megathrust and most contain mainshocks with peak slip above 40 m. The fit of the geologic evidence from sequences is poor in comparison to single‐event models. Therefore, sequences are generally less favored compared to full‐margin events.

British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2025

Late Pleistocene kinematics of the Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone, Puerto Rico

Several onshore faults in southern Puerto Rico have recently been recognized as Quaternary active. However, the kinematics of these faults, particularly any lateral component, remain largely unconstrained. It is difficult to characterize low strain‐rate faults, partially due to extensive erosional and anthropogenic landscape modification, steep relief, and frequent landsliding, limiting the preservation of geomorphic features that could serve as recorders of fault motion. Here, we constrain the kinematics along sections of the Great Southern Puerto Rico Fault Zone (GSPRFZ) on the southern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. We integrate ∼1‐m‐resolution light detection and ranging (lidar)‐derived topography, historical air photos, and field mapping to identify a series of ∼50–1200‐m‐long fault scarps and lineaments that trend northwest–southeast and extend for ≥25 km across the southern coastal plain. Fault scarps are primarily south facing, cut across topography, and displace Quaternary deposits and landforms. We document multiple offset geomorphic markers, including channel thalwegs and interfluves formed in deposits previously mapped as Quaternary piedmont alluvial plain. We observe both vertical (south‐side‐down) and right‐lateral meter‐scale displacements, which indicate that the GSPRFZ accommodates right‐lateral oblique motion in the late Pleistocene, consistent with northeast motion of the Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands microplate away from the Hispaniola block.

Puerto Rico↗

USGS2011

Shear-wave velocity characterization of the USGS Hawaiian strong-motion network on the Island of Hawaii and development of an NEHRP site-class map

To assess the level and nature of ground shaking in Hawaii for the purposes of earthquake hazard mitigation and seismic design, empirical ground-motion prediction models are desired. To develop such empirical relationships, knowledge of the subsurface site conditions beneath strong-motion stations is critical. Thus, as a first step to develop ground-motion prediction models for Hawaii, spectral-analysis-of-surface-waves (SASW) profiling was performed at the 22 free-field U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) strong-motion sites on the Big Island to obtain shear-wave velocity ( V S ) data. Nineteen of these stations recorded the 2006 Kiholo Bay moment magnitude (M) 6.7 earthquake, and 17 stations recorded the triggered M 6.0 Mahukona earthquake. V S profiling was performed to reach depths of more than 100 ft. Most of the USGS stations are situated on sites underlain by basalt, based on surficial geologic maps. However, the sites have varying degrees of weathering and soil development. The remaining strong-motion stations are located on alluvium or volcanic ash. V S 30 (average V S in the top 30 m) values for the stations on basalt ranged from 906 to 1908 ft/s [National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) site classes C and D], because most sites were covered with soil of variable thickness. Based on these data, an NEHRP site-class map was developed for the Big Island. These new V S data will be a significant input into an update of the USGS statewide hazard maps and to the operation of ShakeMap on the island of Hawaii.

Hawai'i↗

USGS2024

SKHASH: A python package for computing earthquake focal mechanisms

We introduce a Python package for computing focal mechanism solutions. This algorithm, which we refer to as SKHASH, is largely based on the HASH algorithm originally written in Fortran over 20 yr ago. HASH innovated the use of suites of solutions, spanning the expected errors in polarities and takeoff angles, to estimate focal mechanism uncertainty. SKHASH benefits from new features with flexible input formats and allows users to take advantage of recent advances in constraining focal mechanisms for small magnitude or poorly recorded earthquakes. The 3D locations of earthquakes and the velocity models used are varied when finding acceptable solutions. As a result, source–receiver azimuths are reflective of errors from the earthquake locations and velocity models, in addition to the takeoff angles. Users can consider weighted P ‐wave first‐motion polarities derived from traditional or machine‐learning picks, cross‐correlation consensus, and/or imputation techniques using SKHASH. Focal mechanism solutions can also be further constrained using traditional, machine learning, and/or cross‐correlation consensus S / P amplitude ratios. With improved reporting of individual and collective P polarity and S / P amplitude misfits, users can better evaluate the success of the solutions and the quality of the measurements. The reporting also makes it easier to identify potential issues with metadata, including incorrectly reported station polarity reversals. In addition, by leveraging vectorized operations, taking advantage of an efficient backend Python C Application Programming Interface, and the use of a parallel environment, the Python SKHASH routine may compute mechanisms quicker than the HASH routine.

Seismological Research Letters↗

USGS2003

Signatures of the seismic source in EMD-based characterization of the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake recordings

In this article we use empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to characterize the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake records and investigate the signatures carried over from the source rupture process. Comparison of the current study results with existing source inverse solutions that use traditional data processing suggests that the EMD-based characterization contains information that sheds light on aspects of the earthquake rupture process. We first summarize the fundamentals of the EMD and illustrate its features through the analysis of a hypothetical and a real record. Typically, the Northridge strong-motion records are decomposed into eight or nine intrinsic mode functions (IMF's), each of which emphasizes a different oscillation mode with different amplitude and frequency content. The first IMF has the highest-frequency content; frequency content decreases with an increase in IMF component. With the aid of a finite-fault inversion method, we then examine aspects of the source of the 1994 Northridge earthquake that are reflected in the second to fifth IMF components. This study shows that the second IMF is predominantly wave motion generated near the hypocenter, with high-frequency content that might be related to a large stress drop associated with the initiation of the earthquake. As one progresses from the second to the fifth IMF component, there is a general migration of the source region away from the hypocenter with associated longer-period signals as the rupture propagates. This study suggests that the different IMF components carry information on the earthquake rupture process that is expressed in their different frequency bands.

California↗

USGS2006

Introduction to the special issue on the 2004 Parkfield earthquake and the Parkfield earthquake prediction experiment

The 28 September 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake, a long-anticipated event on the San Andreas fault, is the world's best recorded earthquake to date, with state-of-the-art data obtained from geologic, geodetic, seismic, magnetic, and electrical field networks. This has allowed the preearthquake and postearthquake states of the San Andreas fault in this region to be analyzed in detail. Analyses of these data provide views into the San Andreas fault that show a complex geologic history, fault geometry, rheology, and response of the nearby region to the earthquake-induced ground movement. Although aspects of San Andreas fault zone behavior in the Parkfield region can be modeled simply over geological time frames, the Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment and the 2004 Parkfield earthquake indicate that predicting the fine details of future earthquakes is still a challenge. Instead of a deterministic approach, forecasting future damaging behavior, such as that caused by strong ground motions, will likely continue to require probabilistic methods. However, the Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment and the 2004 Parkfield earthquake have provided ample data to understand most of what did occur in 2004, culminating in significant scientific advances.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2020

California Historical Intensity Mapping Project (CHIMP): A consistently reinterpreted dataset of seismic intensities for the past 162 years and implications for seismic hazard maps

Historical seismic intensity data are useful for myriad reasons, including assessment of the performance of Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) models and corresponding hazard maps by comparing their predictions to a dataset of historically observed intensities in the region. To assess PSHA models for California, a long and consistently interpreted intensity record is necessary. For this purpose, the California Historical Intensity Mapping Project (CHIMP) has compiled a dataset that combines and reinterprets intensity information that has been stored in disparate and sometimes hard-to-access locations. The CHIMP dataset also includes new observations of intensity from archival research and oral history collection. Version 1 of the dataset includes 46,502 intensity observations for 62 earthquakes with estimated magnitudes ranging from 4.7 to 7.9. The 162 years of shaking data show observed shaking lower than expected from seismic hazard models. This discrepancy is reduced, but persists, if historical intensity data for the largest earthquakes are smoothed to reduce the effects of spatial under-sampling. Possible reasons for this discrepancy include other limitations of the CHIMP dataset, the hazard models, and the possibility that California seismicity throughout the historical period has been lower than the long-term average. Some of these issues may also explain similar discrepancies observed for Italy and Japan.

California↗

USGS2001

Seismic reflection images of shallow faulting, northernmost Mississippi embayment, north of the New Madrid seismic zone

High-resolution seismic reflection surveys document tectonic faults that displace Pleistocene and older strata just beyond the northeast termination of the New Madrid seismic zone, at the northernmost extent of the Mississippi embayment. These faults, which are part of the Fluorspar Area fault complex in southeastern Illinois, are directly in line with the northeast-trending seismic zone. The reflection data were acquired using an elastic weight-drop source recorded to 500 msec by a 48-geophone array (24-fold) with a 10-ft (??3.0m) station interval. Recognizable reflections were recorded to about 200 msec (100-150 m). The effects of multiple reflections, numerous diffractions, low apparent velocity (i.e., steeply dipping) noise, and the relatively low-frequency content of the recorded signal provided challenges for data processing and interpreting subtle fault offsets. Data processing steps that were critical to the detection of faults included residual statics, post-stack migration, deconvolution, and noise-reduction filtering. Seismic migration was crucial for detecting and mitigating complex fault-related diffraction patterns, which produced an apparent 'folding' of reflectors on unmigrated sections. Detected individual offsets of shallow reflectors range from 5 to 10 m for the top of Paleozoic bedrock and younger strata. The migrated sections generally indicate vertical to steeply dipping normal and reverse faults, which in places outline small horsts and/or grabens. Tilting or folding of stratal reflectors associated with faulting is also locally observed. At one site, the observed faulting is superimposed over a prominent antiformal structure, which may itself be a product of the Quaternary deformation that produced the steep normal and reverse faults. Our results suggest that faulting of the Paleozoic bedrock and younger sediments of the northern Mississippi embayment is more pervasive and less localized than previously thought.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2008

Observation and prediction of dynamic ground strains, tilts, and torsions caused by the Mw 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake and aftershocks, derived from UPSAR array observations

The 28 September 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake (Mw 6.0) and four aftershocks (Mw 4.7-5.1) were recorded on 12 accelerograph stations of the U.S. Geological Survey Parkfield seismic array (UPSAR), an array of three-component accelerographs occupying an area of about 1 km2 located 8.8 km from the San Andreas fault. Peak horizontal acceleration and velocity at UPSAR during the mainshock were 0.45g and 27 cm/sec, respectively. We determined both time-varying and peak values of ground dilatations, shear strains, torsions, tilts, torsion rates, and tilt rates by applying a time-dependent geodetic analysis to the observed array displacement time series. Array-derived dilatations agree fairly well with point measurements made on high sample rate recordings of the Parkfield-area dilatometers (Johnston et al., 2006). Torsion Fourier amplitude spectra agree well with ground velocity spectra, as expected for propagating plane waves. A simple predictive relation, using the predicted peak velocity from the Boore-Atkinson ground-motion prediction relation (Boore and Atkinson, 2007) scaled by a phase velocity of 1 km/sec, predicts observed peak Parkfield and Chi-Chi rotations (Huang, 2003) well. However, rotation rates measured during Mw 5 Ito, Japan, events observed on a gyro sensor (Takeo, 1998) are factors of 5-60 greater than those predicted by our predictive relation. This discrepancy might be caused by a scale dependence in rotation, with rotations measured over a short baseline exceeding those measured over long baselines. An alternative hypothesis is that events having significant non-double-couple mechanisms, like the Ito events, radiate much stronger rotations than double-couple events. If this is true, then rotational observations might provide an important source of new information for monitoring seismicity in volcanic areas.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS1993

Site response estimates in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, from borehole seismic velocities

The general correlation of Salt Lake Valley sites located on soft, saturated unconsolidated silty and clayey deposits (that is, deposits with low S -wave velocity) with high seismic amplification at the ground surface motivated our investigation of the relationship between the P - and S -wave seismic velocity ( V p and V s ) of these units and their corresponding observed site response. We found that low, near surface V s −1.5 is proportional to seismic amplification measured on the surface, and suspected that we might be able to predict the site response if the near surface seismic velocity structure were known. With this idea in mind we constructed plane-layered seismic impedance models from borehole data in order to correlate impedance structure with variations in site response. Seismic travel times, measured in a borehole at 2-m intervals, were converted into compressional and shear wave seismic velocity profiles for 22 boreholes (average depth = 59 m) in Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Using this impedance model, we estimated site response on the ground surface of the borehole site to within 12% of the measured value in the 0.7 to 1.0 Hz frequency range for six of the twenty sites, and within 20% for 55% of the sites. All except two of our site response estimates are within a factor of two of the measured value. Thus, high values of seismic amplification appear to be partially explained by a near surface high-impedance contrast produced by the low S -wave velocities. Comparing the downhole data with published Salt Lake Valley ground motion data derived from Nevada nuclear tests shows that increased site response (sites of relative ground motion amplification) is associated with: (1) a lower value of V s (110 to 400 m/sec), and (2) high Poisson ratios (0.45 to 0.49) derived from borehole V p and V s values. The lowest S -wave velocities found in the Salt Lake Valley are comparable to other regions, such as the muds around San Francisco Bay and the lake sediments of Mexico City, with low S -wave velocities and a record of severe seismic wave amplification in previous earthquakes. The very-low-velocity surface layer in Salt Lake Valley is, however, about half as thick (10 to 14 m) as the low-velocity layers around San Francisco Bay and Mexico City. We also considered the influence of sedimentary basin fill on site response, because coincidentally, the sites of high seismic wave amplification correspond to the locations of thickest basin fill. The valley fill impedance structure, revealed in seismic reflection profiles we acquired, indicate that a more dynamic impedance structure characterizes sites near the center of the valley where the basin fill is thickest. The reflection data from mid-valley sites typically have more high-amplitude reflectors relative to basin edge sites. The sites with a more dynamic impedance structure suggest that the site response would also be correspondingly different. Thus, the broadband, deep basin effect on site response might account for some of the discrepancy between observed and predicted site response in this study.

Utah↗

USGS2016

Seismic site characterization of an urban dedimentary basin, Livermore Valley, California: Site tesponse, basin-edge-induced surface waves, and 3D simulations

Thirty‐two accelerometers were deployed in the Livermore Valley, California, for approximately one year to study sedimentary basin effects. Many local and near‐regional earthquakes were recorded, including the 24 August 2014 M w 6.0 Napa, California, earthquake. The resulting ground‐motion data set is used to quantify the seismic response of the Livermore basin, a major structural depression in the California Coast Range Province bounded by active faults. Site response is calculated by two methods: the reference‐site spectral ratio method and a source‐site spectral inversion method. Longer‐period (≥1  s) amplification factors follow the same general pattern as Bouguer gravity anomaly contours. Site response spectra are inverted for shallow shear‐wave velocity profiles, which are consistent with independent information. Frequency–wavenumber analysis is used to analyze plane‐wave propagation across the Livermore Valley and to identify basin‐edge‐induced surface waves with back azimuths different from the source back azimuth. Finite‐element simulations in a 3D velocity model of the region illustrate the generation of basin‐edge‐induced surface waves and point out strips of elevated ground velocities along the margins of the basin.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2025

Examining the role of elevated and sustained strain in dynamically triggering earthquakes on the Anza section of the San Jacinto fault

Microearthquakes can be dynamically triggered in southern California by remote earthquakes. However, directly connecting dynamic triggering mechanisms with observational data remains challenging. One proposed failure mechanism suggests that both the amplitude and duration of cyclic fatigue caused by the passing seismic wave contribute to triggering occurrence. Here, we measure dynamic strains recorded by borehole strainmeters in the Anza section of the San Jacinto fault zone from 710 earthquakes that occurred over 300 km away between 2008 and 2017 to systematically investigate the role of elevated and sustained strain in controlling dynamic triggering. We design a suite of tests to evaluate whether specific amplitude thresholds and durations of strain can predict dynamic triggering cases. We further test whether the peak dynamic strain (PDS) can predict triggering occurrence in combination with the strain amplitude and duration. Based on these tests, there is no strain amplitude–duration threshold that can distinguish triggering occurrence in Anza. Dynamic triggering is more likely to occur if a remote earthquake causes a PDS above 100 nanostrain, though many cases were triggered at smaller PDSs. The lack of clear correlation between triggering and characteristics of the dynamic strain field suggests that the tested features of the incoming waves do not determine triggering occurrence and local fault conditions and slip processes are more important in controlling dynamic triggering in Anza.

California↗

USGS2021

Wastewater disposal has not significantly altered the regional stress state in southern Kansas

Wastewater disposal is primarily responsible for the increased seismicity rate since ~2013 in southern Kansas. Previous work that used shear wave splitting (SWS) in southern Kansas interpreted a ~90º temporal rotation in the fast polarization direction and attributed it to increased pore pressures resulting from fluid injection. However, this interpreted rotation coincided with a change in the stations used to make the SWS measurements. We investigate the temporal variability of fast azimuths in southern Kansas by making SWS measurements on earthquake families with similar source-receiver paths recorded on a stable local seismic network. We select high-quality SWS measurements by investigating the stability of results across 65 different frequency bands between 0.5-15 Hz. We find that the fast polarization direction in southern Kansas is relatively constant with an average ENE (~N79ºE) orientation between 2014-2017. Our fast polarization measurements are primarily a reflection of the maximum principal horizontal stress direction (SHmax). We observe a slight spatial change in SHmax to the NE (~N55°E) near the Nemaha Ridge in Oklahoma. However, we do not observe any significant temporal rotation of SHmax or variation in delay time (i.e., crack density) in southern Kansas, contrary to the earlier study. The previously interpreted ~90º rotation may either be a reflection of a very local stress change or a misinterpretation of SWS results potentially due to the use of inconsistent source-receiver paths. Our SWS measurements cover the period of peak wastewater disposal and seismicity rates and suggest an absence of significant temporal rotations in the local anisotropy and stress orientations associated with wastewater disposal.

Kansas↗