induced seismicity

earthquakes_81125

seismological society

pore pressure

seismic_81166

earthquake_82303

Geophysical Research Letters

Seismicity in the Raton Basin over the past two decades suggests reactivation of basement faults due to waste‐water injection. In the summer of 2018, 96 short period three‐component nodal instruments were installed in a highly active region of the basin for a month. A machine‐learning based phase picker (PhaseNet) was adopted and identified millions of picks, which were associated into events using an automated algorithm—REAL (Rapid Earthquake Association and Location). After hypocenter relocation with hypoDD, the earthquake catalog contains 9,259 M L −2.2 to 3 earthquakes focused at depths of 4–6 km. Magnitude of completeness (Mc) varies from −1 at nighttime to −0.5 in daytime, likely reflecting noise variation modulated by wind. The clustered hypocenters with variable depths and focal mechanisms suggest a complex network of basement faults. Frequency‐magnitude statistics and the spatiotemporal evolution of seismicity are comparable to tectonic systems.

Injection‐Induced Earthquakes on Complex Fault Zones of the Raton Basin Illuminated by Machine‐Learning Phase Picker and Dense Nodal Array