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Changes in well water level and rock damage zones in a shallow aquifer before and after local earthquakes

Modifications du niveau de l’eau d’un puits et des zones de déformation rocheuse dans un aquifère superficiel avant et après les tremblements de terre localux

Cambios en el nivel del agua de pozo y en las zonas donde se producen deformaciones de las rocas en un acuífero poco profundo antes y después de terremotos locales

近场地震前后浅层含水层中井水位和岩石损伤带的变化

Mudanças no nível d’água e zonas de danificação de rochas em aquífero raso antes e depois de terremotos locais

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Abstract

The coseismic response of a well’s water level and the degree of rock damage in response to earthquakes can be quantified and used to understand the mechanism of the response of the aquifer system. The coseismic response of well water levels has been reported to be related to aquifer permeability, and this relationship is influenced by seismic events. Hydraulic parameters of the aquifer were obtained from the coseismic response of the water level in Well X10 in Xinjiang, China, before and after three local earthquakes from December 2016 to August 2020, and were used to estimate the degree of rock damage caused. Results indicated that the hydraulic parameters and primary rock defects (e.g., microcracks and microvoids) changed by varying degrees. It is suggested that the coseismic response of the water level caused by local earthquakes is the result of the coupling between volume and deviator strains. It was concluded that earthquake-induced stress changes in the fracture zone were likely to lead to changes in the rock damage areas and alterations in its multiple elastic parameters, while the changes in the hydraulic parameter were relatively small. Evolution of rock defects was found to depend on initial stress level, initial damage state, and coseismic strain in the aquifer, indicating that the mechanism of the earthquake-induced coseismic response of the water level is complex. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the earthquake-induced deformation of an aquifer and the mechanism of the coseismic response of the groundwater.

Résumé

La réponse cosismique du niveau de l’eau d’un puits et le degré de déformation rocheuse en réponse à des séismes peuvent être quantifiés et utilisés pour comprendre le mécanisme de réponse d’un système aquifère. Il a été rapporté que la réponse cosismique des niveaux de l’eau d’un puits est liée à la perméabilité de l’aquifère, et cette relation est influencée par les évènements sismiques. Les paramètres hydrauliques de l’aquifère ont été acquis à partir de la réponse cosismique du niveau de l’eau du puits X10 au XinJiang (Chine), avant et après trois séismes locaux survenus entre décembre 2016 et août 2020 et ont été utilisés pour estimer l’intensité des dommages de la roche en résultant. Les résultats indiquent que les paramètres hydrauliques et les altérations rocheuses primaires (e.g. microfissures et microvides) ont été modifiés à des degrés divers. Il est suggéré que la réponse cosismique du niveau de l’eau causée par des séismes locaux est le résultat d’un couplage entre les contraintes de volume et de déviation. La conclusion est que les modifications des contraintes induites par le séisme dans la zone de fractures semblaient aboutir à des changements dans les zones de déformation et d’altération de la roche pour plusieurs de ses paramètres élastiques, tandis que les modifications des paramètres hydrauliques étaient relativement limitées. On a constaté que l’évolution des désordres dans la roche dépendait du niveau de la contrainte initiale, de l’état initial des désordres et de la tension cosismique dans l’aquifère, ce qui indique que le mécanisme de la réponse cosismique du niveau de l’eau induit par le séisme est complexe. Ces résultats contribuent à une compréhension approfondie des déformations d’un aquifère induites par un séisme et du mécanisme de la réponse cosismique de l’eau souterraine.

Resumen

La respuesta cosísmica del nivel de agua de un pozo y el grado de deformación de la roca en reacción a los terremotos pueden cuantificarse y utilizarse para comprender el mecanismo de esta respuesta en el sistema acuífero. Se ha señalado que la respuesta cosísmica de los niveles de agua de los pozos está relacionada con la permeabilidad del acuífero, y que esta relación se ve influenciada por los eventos sísmicos. Los parámetros hidráulicos del acuífero se obtuvieron a partir de la respuesta cosísmica del nivel de agua en el pozo X10 en Xinjiang, China, antes y después de tres terremotos locales de diciembre de 2016 a agosto de 2020, y se utilizaron para estimar el grado de deformación causado en la roca. Los resultados indicaron que los parámetros hidráulicos y las principales deformaciones de la roca (por ejemplo, microfisuras y microvacíos) cambiaron en distintos grados. Se sugiere que la respuesta cosísmica del nivel del agua causada por terremotos locales es el resultado del acoplamiento entre las deformaciones de volumen y de desviación. Se llegó a la conclusión de que los cambios de tensión inducidos por terremotos en la zona de fractura podían provocar cambios en las zonas de deformación de la roca y alteraciones en sus múltiples parámetros elásticos, mientras que los cambios en el parámetro hidráulico eran relativamente pequeños. Se observó que la evolución de las deformaciones en la roca dependía del nivel de tensión inicial, del estado de deformación inicial y de la deformación cosísmica en el acuífero, lo que indica que el mecanismo de la respuesta cosísmica del nivel de agua inducida por el terremoto es complejo. Estos resultados contribuyen a una comprensión más profunda de la deformación de un acuífero inducida por un terremoto y del mecanismo de la respuesta cosísmica del agua subterránea.

摘要

定量分析地震引起的井水位同震响应和岩石损伤程度变化，有助于了解含水层系统的响应机制。井水位的同震响应与含水层渗透率有关已被报道，而且这种相关性还会受到地震事件的影响。获取了2016年12月至2020年8月的中国新疆X10井观测到的3次近场地震前后含水层的水力参数，估算了地震引起的含水层岩石损伤程度。结果表明，水力参数和岩石损伤变化(如微裂纹和微空隙)发生了不同程度的变化。认为近场地震引起的水位同震响应是体积应变和偏应变耦合的结果。结果表明，地震引起的断裂带应力变化可能导致岩石损伤区域的变化和其岩石弹性参数的变化，而水力参数的变化相对较小。岩石损伤的演化取决于含水层的初始应力水平、初始损伤状态和同震应变，这表明地震引起的水位同震响应机制是复杂的。这些发现有助于更进一步理解地震引起的含水层变形和地下水的同震响应机制。

Resumo

A resposta cosísmica do nível de água de um poço e o grau de dano da rocha em resposta a terremotos podem ser quantificados e usados para entender o mecanismo de resposta do sistema aquífero. A resposta cosísmica dos níveis de água dos poços está relacionada à permeabilidade do aquífero, e essa relação é influenciada por eventos sísmicos. Os parâmetros hidráulicos do aquífero foram obtidos a partir da resposta cosísmica do nível da água no Poço X10 em Xinjiang, China, antes e depois de três terremotos locais de dezembro de 2016 a agosto de 2020, e foram usados para estimar o grau de dano causado à rocha. Os resultados indicaram que os parâmetros hidráulicos e os defeitos primários da rocha (por exemplo, microtrincas e microvazios) mudaram em vários graus. Sugere-se que a resposta cosísmica do nível d’água causada por terremotos locais seja o resultado do acoplamento entre deformações volumétricas e desviadoras. Concluiu-se que as mudanças de tensão induzidas por terremotos na zona de fratura provavelmente levariam a mudanças nas áreas de dano da rocha e alterações em seus múltiplos parâmetros elásticos, enquanto as mudanças no parâmetro hidráulico foram relativamente pequenas. Verificou-se que a evolução dos defeitos da rocha depende do nível de tensão inicial, do estado de dano inicial e da tensão cosísmica no aquífero, indicando que o mecanismo da resposta cosísmica induzida por terremotos do nível da água é complexo. Essas descobertas contribuem para uma compreensão mais profunda da deformação induzida por terremotos de um aquífero e do mecanismo da resposta cosísmica das águas subterrâneas.

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Data availability

The information on the earthquakes was obtained from the website of USGS (2020) (links to https://earthquake.usgs.gov/). The original water level and seismic wave data supporting the work presented in this paper are from the monitoring center of the earthquake Agency of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. All data are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Earthquake Agency of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for providing the data for this study. The information on the earthquakes was obtained from the website of US Geological Survey (USGS 2020).

Funding

Intelligent and Safe Mining for Coal Resources (Grant No. 52121003) and the 111 Project (Grant No. B18052)

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  1. State Key Labortaory for Fine Exploration and Intelligent Development of Coal Resources, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Yang Xiang & Suping Peng

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Xiang, Y., Peng, S. Changes in well water level and rock damage zones in a shallow aquifer before and after local earthquakes. Hydrogeol J 31, 1937–1951 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-023-02670-1

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