The interplay of permeability dynamics fault weakening, and stress conditions in the seismogenesis in West Bohemia.
The Research Project
Earthquakes often strike without warning, but some regions experience recurring sequences of small earthquakes known as seismic swarms. These swarms, unlike typical earthquake sequences, which usually have one big earthquake followed by several smaller earthquakes. Instead, they consist of numerous small events clustered in space and time. Understanding the mechanisms behind these swarms is crucial for assessing seismic hazards and mitigating risks.
In the Eger Rift, a region in Central Europe, the city of Novy Kostel (Czech Republic) has been a hotspot for these seismic swarms since a significant event in 1997. This area has become a natural laboratory for scientists, thanks to a comprehensive multidisciplinary monitoring program established after a swarm period in 1997. Most studies attribute swarm seismicity to the movement of fluids in the subsurface, typically assuming the involvement of a single fluid, such as water. However, the Novy Kostel region shows evidence of uprising mantle-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) alongside water. This creates a complex, multiphase flow system that could be key to understanding the recurring seismic activity.
My PhD project aims to shed light on this phenomenon. I am developing a sophisticated 3D model using COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the interaction between supercritical water and CO2 in the subsurface. This model will help us investigate how these fluids influence the stress evolution in the Earth’s crust, potentially triggering earthquakes. By considering the multiphase flow of water and CO2, we can address several critical research questions:
1. How does the consideration of multiphase flow affect the stress evolution in the subsurface compared to single-phase flow assumptions?
2. What range of phase and background permeability best explains the different phases of swarm activity?
3. Does the consideration of multiphase flow change the relevance of stress drop and stress transfer for the spatial-temporal evolution of the seismic swarm?
By answering these questions, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the processes driving seismic swarms in the Eger Rift and similar regions worldwide. This research not only advances our knowledge of earthquake mechanics but also contributes to better seismic hazard assessment and risk management strategies.
What I need the IRB for
Earthquakes, including seismic swarms like the ones in NW Bohemia, are notoriously unpredictable. The IRB will provide me with the flexibility to respond to those unpredictable changes and ensure that my research is always up to date. Generally, the IRB will enable me to strengthen existing collaborations with project partners and forge new connections, broadening my research network and fostering interdisciplinary exchange. Further, my multidisciplinary doctoral project presents challenges that require expertise beyond my current scope. Therefore, the IRB will give me the opportunity to reach out to international partners and potential collaborators to address these gaps and to create more impactful and robust results.
Overall, the IRB will boost my start in an academic career, and I’m excited for the opportunity to learn and grow through this fellowship.