Spontaneous rupture on natural fractures and seismic radiation during hydraulic fracturing treatments Academic Article

abstract

• AbstractWe extend spontaneous rupture models in earthquake source studies to analyze fluid injection problems. We perform these analyses on a 2D fracture network model with a propagating hydraulic fracture (HF) and three sets of natural fractures (NFs). We find that it is difficult for NFs that are either parallel or perpendicular to the HF to slip because of little resolved shear stress on them in the prestress field. Shear failure of optimally oriented NFs depends on frictional parameters, such as the critical slip distance in slipweakening laws. Slip of NFs near the tips of the HF may affect HF opening. Nonsmooth fracture opening generates isolated spiky seismic signals, while unstable frictional slip radiates strong and continuous seismic signals with longduration coda waves. These results suggest microseismicity may be primarily generated by unstable frictional slip on NFs with some contribution from nonsmooth opening motions on HFs and/or NFs.

authors

• Duan, Benchun

published proceedings

• Geophysical Research Letters

altmetric score

• 0.25

author list (cited authors)

• Duan, B.

citation count

• 10

complete list of authors

• Duan, Benchun

publication date

• July 2016

publisher

• American Geophysical Union (AGU)  Publisher

keywords

• 37 Earth Sciences
• 3706 Geophysics

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1002/2016gl069083

start page

• 7451

end page

• 7458

volume

• 43

issue

• 14

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016gl069083