Time-dependent seismic tomography of the Coso geothermal area, 1996-2004

Conference · Fri Mar 31 00:00:00 EST 2006

OSTI ID:926259

Julian, Bruce R. ^[1]; Foulger, Gillian R. ^[2]; Richards-Dinger, Keith ^[3]; Monastero, Francis ^[3]

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1. U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
2. U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Durham Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Earth Sciences
3. Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA (United States). Geothermal Program Office

Local-earthquake tomographic images were calculated for each of the years 1996 - 2004 using arrival times from the U.S. Navy’s permanent seismometer network at the Coso geothermal area, California. The results show irregular strengthening with time of the wave-speed ratio V_P/V_S at shallow depths. These changes result predominately from progressive relative increase in V_S with respect to V_P, and could result from processes associated with geothermal operations such as decrease in fluid pressure and the drying of argillaceous minerals such as illite.

• Research Organization: Durham Univ. (United Kingdom)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: FG36-06GO16058
• OSTI ID: 926259
• Report Number(s): SGP-TR-179; TRN: US200818%%524
• Resource Relation: Conference: 31. Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford, CA (United States), 30 Jan - 1 Feb 2006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
CALIFORNIA
DRYING
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
ILLITE
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
TOMOGRAPHY
geothermal
earthquakes
hydrofracturing