Loading…
Academic Journal
The 11-month precursory fault activation of the 2019 M L 5.6 earthquake in the Weiyuan shale gas field, China
Jinping Zi, Yuyun Yang, Hongfeng Yang, Jinrong Su
Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2025)
Saved in:
| Title | The 11-month precursory fault activation of the 2019 M L 5.6 earthquake in the Weiyuan shale gas field, China |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jinping Zi, Yuyun Yang, Hongfeng Yang, Jinrong Su |
| Publication Year |
2025
|
| Source |
Communications Earth & Environment, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2025)
|
| Description |
Abstract Anthropogenic activities such as hydraulic fracturing (HF) can trigger destructive earthquakes, the triggering mechanisms of which are still in debate. We utilize near-fault seismic recordings to study the preparatory phase of the 2019 M L 5.6 earthquake in the Weiyuan shale gas field (WSGF), Sichuan Basin, China, which struck 3 months after stimulation completion. This is one of the largest HF-triggered earthquakes worldwide. We observed an 11-month-long precursory fault activation, during which continuous seismicity illuminated the fault plane and provided warnings for a potential destructive earthquake. The fault activation is a consequence of injections in multiple HF well pads, with a variety of mechanisms at play. Numerical simulation reveals that the occurrence of the mainshock involves stress perturbation from post-injection aseismic slip. This work promotes our understanding of HF-induced earthquakes and suggests incorporating long-term near-fault observations and taking post-injection aseismic slip into account for effective hazard management.
|
| Document Type |
article
|
| Language |
English
|
| Publisher Information |
Nature Portfolio, 2025.
|
| Subject Terms | |
