Induced seismicity

Earthquake activity triggered or altered by human activities, such as fluid injection, mining, or reservoir filling. It ranges from imperceptible tremors to damaging earthquakes.

Pore pressure: The pressure exerted by fluid within the pores of rock or sediment. Injected fluids can raise pressure in fault zones and reduce friction holding faults in place.
Wastewater injection: The disposal of liquid waste by pumping it into deep geological formations. Large-volume disposal has triggered earthquake sequences in several regions.
2011 Oklahoma earthquake: A magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma, on November 6, 2011. It was linked to wastewater disposal and became a landmark case in induced seismicity.
Natural earthquake: An earthquake caused by natural processes within Earth, without a triggering human activity. Induced events differ chiefly in the human activity that changes the likelihood or timing of fault slip.
Effective stress: The stress carried by a rock framework after accounting for pressure from fluids in its pores. Rising pore pressure lowers effective stress, making some faults easier to slip.
Hydraulic fracturing: A method of extracting oil or gas by injecting pressurized fluid to fracture rock. Fracturing can cause small events directly, while associated wastewater disposal can produce larger sequences.
Guy-Greenbrier earthquakes: A central Arkansas earthquake sequence that included a magnitude 4.7 event in 2011. The sequence was associated with nearby wastewater injection and prompted operational changes.
Triggered seismicity: Earthquake activity initiated or advanced by a perturbation, which may be natural or human-caused. The term can include naturally triggered events, whereas induced seismicity emphasizes human influence.
Fault: A fracture or zone of fractures in rock along which the two sides have moved relative to each other. Induced earthquakes occur when human-caused stress changes prompt slip on pre-existing faults.
Reservoir-induced seismicity: Earthquake activity associated with the filling or operation of an artificial water reservoir. Reservoir loading and water infiltration can alter stresses and pressures on faults.

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