Fault Reactivation During Fluid Pressure Oscillations: Transition From Stable to Unstable Slip

The Depth of Seismic Faulting and the Upper Transition from Stable to Unstable Slip Regimes

A number of observations indicate that an upper stability transition occurs along well-developed faults, such as the San Andreas, as a result of unconsolidated gouge within shallow regions of these faults. These observations include the depth distribution of seismicity along faults with and without well-developed gouge zones, correlations between seismicity and shallow crustal structure, and mo...

Change of Pore Fluid Pressure Versus Frictional Coefficient During Fault Slip

Analysis of fluid injection-induced fault reactivation and seismic slip in geothermal reservoirs

We explore the issue of fault reactivation induced in enhanced geothermal systems by fluid injection. Specifically, we investigate the role of late stage activation by thermal drawdown. A Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical simulator incorporating a ubiquitous joint constitutive model is used to systematically simulate the seismic slip of an embedded critically stressed strike-slip fault. We examin...

T ∇ Stable Fluid Hot Cold T ∇ Unstable

Natural or “Buoyant” or “Free” convection is a very important mechanism that is operative in a variety of environments from cooling electronic circuit boards in computers to causing large scale circulation in the atmosphere as well as in lakes and oceans that influences the weather. It is caused by the action of density gradients in conjunction with a gravitational field. This is a brief introd...

An Evaluation of Rock Integrity and Fault Reactivation in the Cap Rock and Reservoir Rock Due to Pressure Variations

Cap rocks are dams which can prevent the upward movement of hydrocarbons. They have disparities and weaknesses including discontinuities, crushed areas, and faults. Gas injection is an effective mechanism for oil recovery and pore pressure. With increasing pore pressure, normal stress is reduced, and the integrity of impermeable boundaries (cap rock, fault, etc.) becomes instable. A successful ...