The WG1 Seismology aims at imaging and monitoring underground reservoirs to understand their structure and dynamic, using data acquired by permanent or temporary seismic station networks. The group mostly concentrates on the use of passive seismic data including natural or induced seismicity and ambient seismic vibrations (also called “seismic noise”) generated by natural or anthropogenic sources. Such cutting-edge approaches complement and can overcome some of the limitations of traditional methods used in oil and gas industries and relying mostly on active sources.
Achievements
The activities of WG1 have focused on
- understanding the mechanisms involved in the generation of induced seismicity during deep reservoir development
- developing new approaches for induced seismicity characterization and subsurface imaging, in particular based on ambient noise
- developing and testing new instrumental approaches for improved induced seismicity monitoring.
In terms of methodological development, the main focus has been on understanding the mechanisms of deformation in deep geothermal reservoirs and the triggering of seismicity through a variety of approaches:
Laboratory experiments to study fault stability/instability conditions (Weiwei Shu's PhD, 2020-2023)
Re-analysis of seismicity induced during stimulation and circulation phases at Soultz-sous-Forêts, to establish links between fracturing energy (earthquakes) and hydraulic energy (Kamel Drif's PhD, 2020-2024).
Development of interferometric methods based on the correlation of ambient seismic noise to detect temporal changes in reservoir properties, using both data acquired around the Rittershoffen and Vendenheim sites (Flavien Mattern PhD, 2023-2026; Ayrullah Karabulut - Gutenberg Chair) and digital and analog modeling (Yunliang Wang PhD, 2022-2025).
The use of data mining and machine learning approaches on different episodes of induced seismicity (PhD of Rachit Gautam, 2023-2026 and post-doctorate of Zhiwei Wang, 2023-2025).
The thematic broadening of the group to include active seismic methods is envisaged in the near future.
Regarding the new instrumental approaches to monitoring induced seismicity, 3 major projects were developed:
The use of dense patches of miniaturized sensor ("nodes") has been implemented around the Vendenheim site and has demonstrated that this type of topology allows to eliminate part of the ambient noise of urban environments, therefore significantly lowering the magnitude of completeness compared with traditional networks (Rémi Fiori's PhD, 2020-2024).
We have initiated some work on the use of fiber optics as a distributed sensor array for measuring the seismic wave field (DAS) in the framework of the ANR Monidas project. Experiments were carried out in 2023 on a ~10km-long fiber linking the central campus to the Illkirch campus via a partnership with Strasbourg's digital department (DNUM). Preliminary analyses show the system's ability to record seismic events, typical of those generated by deep reservoir exploitation, at high spatial resolution and in noisy urban environments.
The development of seismicity monitoring networks involving citizens has been largely developed through in particular the ANR PrESENCE and the SismoCité projects. The use of low-cost sensors, complementing permanent networks, was crucial in monitoring and analyzing the Strasbourg seismic crisis. More than 70 low-cost stations are now installed in the Outre-Forêt and Eurométropole areas, and strong links are being established with the hosts of the sensors (through “sismo-stammtich”) and with the University of Strasbourg's Jardin des Sciences and the Musée du Pétrole (Pechelbroonn).
Team
Leaders: Jérôme Vergne & Olivier Lengliné (EOST)
Members (EOST/ITES) : Jean Schmittbuhl, Benoît Derode, Serge Sambodian, Marc Grunberg, Antoine Schlupp, Hélène Jund, Cécile Doubre, Dimitri Zigone, Sophie Lambotte, Alessia Maggi, Maxime Bes de Berc, Mathieu Turlure, Qingyu Wang
- Post-docs : Weiwei Shu, Zhiwei Wang, Javier Abreu Torres, Ricardo Minetto, Philippe Danre
- PhD candidates : Rémi Fiori, Kamel Drif, Yunliang Wang, Flavien Mattern, Rachit Gautam
Collaborations
With the other ITI GeoT WGs
WG7: Social sciences
WG8: CDGP
WG9: Modelling
With other academic partners
ETH - Switzerland, TUD - Netherlands, LBNL Berkeley - USA
With socio-economic partners
INERIS, Vito, Geo Energie Suisse
Jardin des sciences, Musée du Pétrole de Pechelbroon
Publications
Modeling the Impact of Seasonal Water Table Fluctuations on Ambient Noise Interferometry Using Acousto-Elastic Effect. Y. Wang, J. Schmittbuhl, J. Azzola, F. Mattern, D. Zigone, O. Lengliné, V. Magnenet, J. Vergne (2024). Geophysical Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL110239
L. Griffiths, M. J. Heap, O. Lengliné, P. Baud, J. Schmittbuhl, H. A. Gilg (2024). Thermal Stressing of Volcanic Rock: Microcracking and Crack Closure Monitored Through Acoustic Emission, Ultrasonic Velocity, and Thermal Expansion. JGR Solid
Shu W., Lengliné O., Schmittbuhl J. (2023). Collective Behavior of Asperities Before Large Stick-Slip Events. Solid Earth. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB026696
Lengliné Olivier, Ampuero Jean Paul, Schmittbuhl Jean (2023). Scaling of Repeating Earthquakes at the Transition From Aseismic to Seismic Slip. Geophysical Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101604
LENGLINÉ, Olivier, SCHMITTBUHL, Jean, DRIF, Karim Kamel, LAMBOTTE, Sophie, GRUNBERG, Marc, KINSCHER, Jannes L., SIRA, Christophe, SCHLUPP, Antoine, SCHAMING, Marc, JUND, Hélène et MASSON, Frédéric (2023). The largest induced earthquakes during the GEOVEN deep geothermal project, Strasbourg, 2018–2022: from source parameters to intensity maps. Geophysical Journal International. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad255
Fiori Remi, Vergne Jérôme, Schmittbuhl Jean, Zigone Dimitri (2023). Monitoring induced microseismicity in an urban context using very small seismic arrays: The case study of the Vendenheim EGS project. Geophysics. https://doi.org/10.1190/geo2022-0620.1
Earth. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB027766
Aquino, M., Marquis, G., Vergne, J. (2022). Joint one dimensional inversion of Magnetotelluric Data and Surface Wave Dispersion Curves
using Correspondence Maps. Geophysical Prospecting.https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.13239
Schmittbuhl, J., Lambotte, S., Lengliné, O., Grunberg, M., Jund, H., Vergne, J., et al. (2021). Induced and triggered seismicity below the city of Strasbourg, France from November 2019 to January 2021. Comptes Rendus. Géoscience, 353(S1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.71