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Characteristics of Seismogenic Zones Associated With the m5.2 Range Hill Event Near Midland, Texas

Description: 

Seismicity in the Midland Basin has significantly increased in last five years, which can be attributed to wastewater injection in this region. Among the seismicity, a recent M5.2 earthquake (referred to as the Range Hill event) occurring north of the city of Midland, Texas, has been the largest earthquake ever recorded in the Midland Basin. This event is located deep in the crystalline Pre-Cambrian basement-top, suggesting the reactivation of a basement-rooted fault system. However, this basement-rooted fault was missing from the public fault map. To understand the geometry of the reactivated basement-rooted fault, we relocated and delineated the induced seismicity using hypoDD-relocation. Earthquake source mechanisms from full waveform moment tensor inversion allow us to further reveal their rupture pattern. In addition, we leveraged the obtained source mechanisms to invert for the regional 3-D stress field.
Within the area, we have identified a broad seismogenic zone containing two groups of seismicity; they share similar seismogenic features and present a seemingly parallel lineation. Seismicity in this zone is trending roughly NE-SW, fairly aligned with the nodal planes. The source mechanisms were determined to be predominantly normal faulting. P-axes have steep plunges (> 60°), while the inverted S1 is nearly vertical. At the same time, T-axes and S3 are running approximately N30°W-S30°E and plunging at shallow angles (<15°). Combining the seismicity geometry, focal depths, and source mechanisms, we infer that this seismic zone contains two basement-rooted normal faults.

Session: Advances in Characterizing Seismic Hazard and Forecasting Risk in Hydrocarbon Systems [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/18/2023

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Dino Huang

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors