Stress in the Earth’s crust is determined without earthquake data

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a method for determining the direction of mechanical stress in the Earth’s crust without relying on data from earthquakes or craters. This method is less expensive than current methods, can have wide application in geophysics and provide insight into continental regions that lack historical geological information.

“We have used nonlinear elastic behavior in rocks and applied a new technique to monitor the direction of maximum horizontal pressure pressure in rocks in parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico,” said Andrew Delury of Los Alamos. “The direction of this maximum horizontal pressure reveals the fractures in the rock that will be active.”

North Central Oklahoma was chosen because induced seismic activity has been ongoing in the area after decades of sewage injection from oil and gas operations. This seismic activity occurs on optimally directed faults in the regional stress field. North central New Mexico was chosen to compare the results to a geological setting that extends across a continental fault separating the Colorado Plateau from a stable section of the Earth’s crust.

Scientists determined that the Earth exhibits stress-induced anisotropy of nonlinear susceptibility consistent with maximum horizontal stress in these two different geological settings. Rocks become stiffer when compressed and softer when stretched, but this effect is not immediate. The rate is faster in the direction where the ambient pressure field is more compressible. By measuring this rate in different directions, scientists can determine which direction the ambient pressure is most compressible.

The direction of geophysical pressure, or the direction of maximum horizontal pressure, is usually determined by drilling narrow and deep wells. However, well drilling is expensive and only provides a single data point.

In addition, for large areas, geophysical data is not collected because it is too expensive. This method provides an alternative.

Their approach could be essential to the oil and gas industry in an effort to avoid risks and improve production. In the case of hydrofracking, the fractures will open toward the minimum horizontal compressive stress, which scientists can now determine before any drilling.

“Estimation of the stress trend in Earth’s crust without earthquake or borehole data” by Andrew A. Delory, Christopher W. Johnson, Paul A. Johnson, and Gotze Böckelmann of the University of Vienna was published in September in the “Nature Communications” journal Earth and Environment.

Wastewater did not significantly change the direction of seismic stress in southern Kansas More information: Andrew A. Delorey et al, Estimation of stress direction in Earth’s crust without earthquake or well data, Earth and Environment Communications (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-021-00244-1 Submitted by Los Alamos National Laboratory

Quote: Earth’s crust stress determined without earthquake data (2021, Oct 8), retrieved Oct 8, 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2021-10-stress-earth-crust-earthquake.html

This document is subject to copyright. Notwithstanding any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://phys.org/news/2021-10-stress-earth-crust-earthquake.html The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos