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Apparently, It's not so quiet down there!
Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of cooling-induced fault reactivation in Dutch geothermal reservoirs
Sep 27, 2026
This study uses coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) simulations to investigate how cold-water injection can reactivate pre-existing faults in Dutch geothermal reservoirs. It finds that thermal stresses from the advancing cold-water front can become more important than pore-pressure effects, with fault distance, rock properties, stress conditions, and operating parameters strongly controlling induced-seismicity risk.
Development of coupled fluid-flow/geomechanics model considering storage and transport mechanism in shale gas reservoirs with complex fracture morphology
Sep 27, 2026
This study develops a coupled fluid-flow and geomechanically model to simulate pressure depletion and stress evolution in shale gas reservoirs with complex natural and hydraulic fracture geometries. Results show that gas storage/transport mechanisms and fracture geometry strongly control pressure and stress redistribution, which is important for optimizing infill wells and refracturing operations.
A Case Study of Groningen Field—Geomechanical Consequences of Depleting and Repressurizing a Gas Reservoir
Sep 27, 2026
The Groningen case study shows how gas depletion lowers reservoir pressure, increases effective stress, and causes compaction, subsidence, fault reactivation, and induced seismicity. Repressurization through CO₂ or other fluid injection may reactivate existing faults, highlighting the need for careful geomechanical and fault-stability assessment before injection.
Experimental modeling of changes in geomechanical parameters of reservoir rock during water flooding operations
Sep 27, 2026
This study investigates how **water flooding alters the geomechanical properties and in-situ stresses of carbonate rocks in the Asmari reservoir of the Ahvaz oil field, Iran. Results show significant changes in Young’s, shear and bulk moduli and rock stability**, highlighting the importance of coupled geomechanical analysis in water-injection and enhanced oil recovery operations.
ArkLaTex earthquake activity on the rise, USGS says
Sep 27, 2026
The ArkLaTex seismic activity reporThe ArkLaTex seismic activity report describes a notable uptick in earthquakes near the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas border sin, with nearly 30 events recorded, while USGS and Louisiana regulators have flt have not yet confirmed induced seismicity as the cause.
String of industry-related earthquakes strike north of Edmonton
Sep 27, 2026
Induced seismicity events (Sturgeon County, Alberta) spiked from 862 in early 2025 to 1,520 by spring 2026, with Shell Canada's CO₂ injection at Scotford Upgrader linked to over 30 "known induced" events — including three M>4 earthquakes — affecting residents near Gibbons who reported repeated shaking over three weeks.
Tiny tremors can’t always warn when fracking will trigger a bigger quake
Sep 27, 2026
Foreshocks preceded 92% of fracking-induced earthquakes (M ≥ 3) in western Canada between 2014–2024, but their counts varied wildly—from one to ~700—making them useful short-term signals while still leaving 8% of events with no warning at all; the study calls for open data sharing and clearer risk thresholds in traffic-light protocols.
Earth's crust is 'unzipping' beneath Italy — and that could explain most of the earthquakes in the region
Sep 27, 2026
New research reveals that the lower crust beneath Italy’s Apennine Mountains is “unzipping” and peeling away into the mantle through a process called delamination, driven by the late-stage remnants of the ancient Tethys Ocean subduction that began roughly 50 million years ago. This delamination—not active subduction—now causes most seismic activity in the region, and within a few million years the lower crust will complete its detachment and the African and Eurasian plates will weld together.
What if Yellowstone ‘blows’? A look at the worst-case scenario
Sep 26, 2026
A hypothetical worst-case scenario based on UK volcanic research describes a Yellowstone super-eruption timeline beginning with earthquake swarms two months before the event, escalating through ground deformation and hydrothermal changes, and culminating in a catastrophic eruption that would devastate the surrounding region and spread ash across much of North America and beyond. The eruption, similar to one that occurred 631,000 years ago, would involve magma reaching temperatures of 650-800°C, triggering violent explosions that send ash hundreds to thousands of miles away, potentially disrupting life across the U.S., southern Canada, and affecting global climate.
Human-caused earthquakes are real. Here’s why even stable regions can snap
Sep 26, 2026
Human activities like gas extraction, mining, and geothermal projects can trigger earthquakes in tectonically stable regions where faults have healed and strengthened over millions of years of inactivity. Computer simulations show that industrial stresses breach this “frictional healing” strength after about 35 years, releasing all the accumulated energy in a single induced earthquake that can cause significant surface shaking in areas unprepared for seismic events.
Why some earthquakes caused by fracking come with warning signs
Sep 26, 2026
Analyzing 70,000 seismic events across western Canada (2014–2024), researchers found that 71 of 77 magnitude-3-or-larger hydraulic-fracturing-induced earthquakes were preceded by foreshocks within 5 km over five days, but foreshock counts varied wildly — from zero to over 700 — depending on local fault conditions rather than injection parameters alone. Because fault zones with low seismogenic susceptibility can produce major quakes with little or no warning, the team recommends that traffic-light safety protocols be tuned to regional geology and real-time seismic-geodetic data rather than applied as a single universal rule.
North Korea's nuclear testing may have triggered hundreds of earthquakes over several years
Sep 24, 2026
North Korea's underground nuclear tests at Mount Mantap between 2006 and 2017 triggered unexpected and ongoing seismic activity, with researchers detecting 1,399 small earthquakes through 2025 that increased rather than faded over time. The study found that the explosions damaged the crust along hidden and known fault lines, and the mountain's weight continues redistributing stress through weakened rock, causing tremors years after testing stopped.
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