Scientists gain insight into geothermal-technology induced seismicity

(Bild: Pixabay CC0) Scientists have developed a model that sheds light on the seismic risks arising from subsurface fluid injections carried out as part of geothermal energy extraction. To support the shift to a carbon-free economy, energy producers are eagerly looking for ways to safely extract geothermal energy from deep underground. EPFL associate professor Brice Lecampion, who heads the Laboratory of Geo-energy (GEL) and holds the Gaznat Chair on Geo-Energy at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), is contributing to these efforts through the work being done by his research group. They're developing models for describing the behavior of the subsurface, with a specific focus on the consequences of subsurface fluid injections - that is, how fluid flow interacts with fractures in rocks. Their research is important because underground water injection plays a key role in the extraction of geothermal energy, a renewable source. The scientists' latest findings appear in Proceedings of the Royal Society A and pave the way to a better understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms that trigger seismicity during geothermal operations. In Switzerland and elsewhere, geothermal wells that run deep underground (4-6 km below the surface) are controversial due to the potential for a seismic event and subsurface pollution.