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Did stresses from the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field influence the El Mayor‐Cucapah rupture sequence?
Author(s) -
Trugman Daniel T.,
Borsa Adrian A.,
Sandwell David T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl061959
Subject(s) - hypocenter , geology , seismology , geothermal gradient , interferometric synthetic aperture radar , stress field , tectonics , fault (geology) , seismic hazard , induced seismicity , synthetic aperture radar , geophysics , remote sensing , physics , finite element method , thermodynamics
Abstract The M w 7.2 El Mayor‐Cucapah (EMC) earthquake ruptured a complex fault system in northern Baja California that was previously considered inactive. The Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field (CPGF), site of the world's second largest geothermal power plant, is located approximately 15 km to the northeast of the EMC hypocenter. We investigate whether anthropogenic fluid extraction at the CPGF caused a significant perturbation to the stress field in the EMC rupture zone. We use Advanced Land Observing Satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar data to develop a laterally heterogeneous model of fluid extraction at the CPGF and estimate that this extraction generates positive Coulomb stressing rates of order 15 kPa/yr near the EMC hypocenter, a value which exceeds the local tectonic stressing rate. Although we cannot definitively conclude that production at the CPGF triggered the EMC earthquake, its influence on the local stress field is substantial and should not be neglected in local seismic hazard assessments.