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Stress constraints and hydrofracturing stress data for the continental crust

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Abstract

Faulting and seismicity in the upper continental crust require considerable differential stresses. Application of experimentally developed friction, fracture and flow laws shows that high differential stresses can only exist in the uppermost crust. Direct hydraulic fracturing measurements in deep boreholes seem to support this rock mechanics conclusion. The experimental data base presently consists of approximately 500 hydrofrac tests conducted in about 100 boreholes at about 30 different geographical locations. To illustrate the variation of measured stresses with depth, the data are expressed as dimensionless horizontal stresses in the formS H,h/Sv=(α/z)+β, whereS v=ρgz Extrapolation of the experimental data to greater depth shows that the minor horizontal stress approaches the valueS h/Sv=0.5 which limits friction on wet faults, and that the major horizontal stress approaches a value close toS H/Sv=1 at rather shallow depth (5 to 10 km.). This limits faulting and seismicity in most of the upper crust to either strike-slip or normal faults. The lower boundary for seismicity is mainly dependent on tectonic strain accumulation and rock creep at the environmental conditions at depth.

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  1. Institute of Geophysics, Ruhr University, Bochum, FRG

    F. Rummel, G. Möhring-Erdmann & J. Baumgärtner

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  1. F. Rummel
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  2. G. Möhring-Erdmann
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  3. J. Baumgärtner
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Rummel, F., Möhring-Erdmann, G. & Baumgärtner, J. Stress constraints and hydrofracturing stress data for the continental crust. PAGEOPH 124, 875–895 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00879616

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