Citation

van der Elst NJ, Savage HM, Keranen KM, Abers GA. Science 2013; 341(6142): 164-167.

Affiliation

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Post Office Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Association for the Advancement of Science)

DOI

10.1126/science.1238948

PMID

23846900

Abstract

A recent dramatic increase in seismicity in the midwestern United States may be related to increases in deep wastewater injection. Here, we demonstrate that areas with suspected anthropogenic earthquakes are also more susceptible to earthquake-triggering from natural transient stresses generated by the seismic waves of large remote earthquakes. Enhanced triggering susceptibility suggests the presence of critically loaded faults and potentially high fluid pressures. Sensitivity to remote triggering is most clearly seen in sites with a long delay between the start of injection and the onset of seismicity and in regions that went on to host moderate magnitude earthquakes within 6 to 20 months. Triggering in induced seismic zones could therefore be an indicator that fluid injection has brought the fault system to a critical state.

Language: en