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Quake-Dfn, A Software for Simulating Sequences of Induced Earthquakes in a Discrete Fault Network

Description: 

We present an earthquake simulator, Quake-DFN, which allows simulating sequences of earthquakes in a 3-D Discrete Fault Network governed by rate and state friction. The simulator is quasi-dynamic with inertial effects being approximated with radiation damping and a lumped mass. The lumped mass term allows accounting for inertial overshoot and, in addition, makes the computation more effective. Quake-DFN is validated against three benchmark problems: (i) the rupture of planar fault with uniform prestress (SEAS BP5-QD), (ii) the propagation of a rupture across a step-over separating two parallel planar faults (RSQSim and FaultMod), and (iii) a branch fault system with a secondary fault splaying from a main fault (FaultMod). Examples of injection-induced earthquake simulations are shown for three different fault geometries: (i) a planar fault with a wide range of initial stresses, (ii) a branching fault system with varying fault angles and principal stress orientations, and (iii) a fault network similar to the one that was activated during the 2011 Prague earthquake sequence in Oklahoma. The simulations produce realistic earthquake sequences. The time and magnitude of the induced earthquakes observed in these simulations depend on the difference between the initial friction and the residual friction μ_i - μ_f, the value of which quantifies the potential for run-away ruptures (ruptures that can extend beyond the zone of stress perturbation due to the injection). The discrete fault simulations show that our simulator correctly accounts for the effect of fault geometry and regional stress tensor orientation and shape. These examples show that Quake-DFN can be used to simulate earthquake sequences, most importantly magnitudes, possibly induced or triggered by a fluid injection near a known fault system.

Session: Induced Earthquakes: Source Characteristics, Mechanisms, Stress Field Modeling and Hazards [Poster Session]

Type: Poster

Date: 5/1/2024

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Kyungjae

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors