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Title: Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy)

Abstract

Changes in water level are commonly reported in regions struck by a seismic event. The sign and amplitude of such changes depend on the relative position of measuring points with respect to the hypocenter, and on the poroelastic properties of the rock. We apply a porous media flow model (TOUGH2) to describe groundwater flow and water-level changes associated with the first M L5.9 mainshock of the 2012 seismic sequence in Emilia (Italy). We represent the earthquake as an instantaneous pressure step, whose amplitude was inferred from the properties of the seismic source inverted from geodetic data. The results are consistent with the evolution recorded in both deep and shallow water wells in the area and suggest that our description of the seismic event is suitable to capture both timing and magnitude of water-level changes. Finally, we draw some conclusions about the influence of material heterogeneity on the pore pressure evolution, and we show that to reproduce the observed maximum amplitude it is necessary to take into account compaction in the shallow layer.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. National Inst. of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bologna (Italy); Univ. of Bologna (Italy)
  2. National Inst. of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bologna (Italy)
  3. National Inst. of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bologna (Italy). National Center for Earthquakes
  4. Univ. of Bologna (Italy)
  5. Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA), Bologna (Italy)
  6. Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) (Switzerland). Swiss Seismological Service
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Inst. of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Bologna (Italy); Univ. of Bologna (Italy)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) (Italy)
OSTI Identifier:
1474953
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geofluids
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 16; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1468-8115
Publisher:
Hindawi
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; 2012 Emilia earthquake; groundwaters; isotropic stress; permeability; porosity; water wells

Citation Formats

Nespoli, M., Todesco, M., Serpelloni, E., Belardinelli, M. E., Bonafede, M., Marcaccio, M., Rinaldi, A. P., Anderlini, L., and Gualandi, A. Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy). United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1111/gfl.12165.
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Nespoli, M., Todesco, M., Serpelloni, E., Belardinelli, M. E., Bonafede, M., Marcaccio, M., Rinaldi, A. P., Anderlini, L., & Gualandi, A. Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy). United States. doi:10.1111/gfl.12165.
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Nespoli, M., Todesco, M., Serpelloni, E., Belardinelli, M. E., Bonafede, M., Marcaccio, M., Rinaldi, A. P., Anderlini, L., and Gualandi, A. Wed . "Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy)". United States. doi:10.1111/gfl.12165. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1474953.
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@article{osti_1474953,
title = {Modeling earthquake effects on groundwater levels: evidences from the 2012 Emilia earthquake (Italy)},
author = {Nespoli, M. and Todesco, M. and Serpelloni, E. and Belardinelli, M. E. and Bonafede, M. and Marcaccio, M. and Rinaldi, A. P. and Anderlini, L. and Gualandi, A.},
abstractNote = {Changes in water level are commonly reported in regions struck by a seismic event. The sign and amplitude of such changes depend on the relative position of measuring points with respect to the hypocenter, and on the poroelastic properties of the rock. We apply a porous media flow model (TOUGH2) to describe groundwater flow and water-level changes associated with the first ML5.9 mainshock of the 2012 seismic sequence in Emilia (Italy). We represent the earthquake as an instantaneous pressure step, whose amplitude was inferred from the properties of the seismic source inverted from geodetic data. The results are consistent with the evolution recorded in both deep and shallow water wells in the area and suggest that our description of the seismic event is suitable to capture both timing and magnitude of water-level changes. Finally, we draw some conclusions about the influence of material heterogeneity on the pore pressure evolution, and we show that to reproduce the observed maximum amplitude it is necessary to take into account compaction in the shallow layer.},
doi = {10.1111/gfl.12165},
journal = {Geofluids},
number = 3,
volume = 16,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {10}
}
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DOI:  10.1111/gfl.12165
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