Seismic waves increase permeability

Jean E. Elkhoury (), Emily E. Brodsky and Duncan C. Agnew
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Jean E. Elkhoury: University of California
Emily E. Brodsky: University of California
Duncan C. Agnew: University of California

Nature, 2006, vol. 441, issue 7097, 1135-1138

Abstract: Permeability: all shook up As well as having obvious effects on people, buildings and scenery, the shaking caused by earthquakes can alter the permeability of the Earth's crust. Permeability is important as it controls the underground movement of fluids, yet it is rarely measured continuously over long periods. A record of water-well levels in Southern California over a 20-year period, in which time seven earthquakes occurred, indicates that seismicity causes a marked increase in permeability: in two of the wells permeability increased by as much as a factor of 3. The data have potentially far-reaching consequences for hydrological monitoring, reservoir engineering and earthquake physics. For instance, the observed tripling of permeability hints at a method for active permeability enhancement in oil and gas reservoirs.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04798

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