Basement Structure Across the Appalachian Basin Using Joint Inversion of P-wave receiver functions and Surface Wave Dispersion
Abstract
Seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing and wastewater disposal is a fairly common phenomenon in many shale basins. Although typically small in magnitude, the induced earthquakes can be large enough to cause damage to nearby structures. Many induced seismic events occur along faults within the basement under the basins, including most of the induced events detected over the past few years in the Appalachian Basin. Using data from several permanent and temporary broadband seismic networks, estimates of depth to basement across the Appalachian Basin, as well as Moho depths, are being obtained by jointly inverting teleseismic P-wave receiver functions and surface wave dispersion measurements. P-wave receiver functions are primarily sensitive to shear-wave velocity contrasts and vertical travel times whereas surface waves are sensitive to shear-wave velocities. The joint inversion of the two methods bridges resolution gaps associated with each data set, enabling the development of a higher resolution subsurface model. A better understanding of basement structure across the basin will enable the identification of areas that may be of higher risk for induced seismicity. The benchmarking of preliminary results against well data indicate the use of high frequency receiver functions with dispersion measurements can yield accurate estimates of depth-to-basement.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.S23A0501H
- Keywords:
-
- 4475 Scaling: spatial and temporal;
- NONLINEAR GEOPHYSICSDE: 7215 Earthquake source observations;
- SEISMOLOGYDE: 7223 Earthquake interaction;
- forecasting;
- and prediction;
- SEISMOLOGYDE: 8164 Stresses: crust and lithosphere;
- TECTONOPHYSICS