Mechanisms, Monitoring and Modeling Earth Fissure generation and

Fault activation due to subsurface Fluid exploitation (M3EF3):

A UNESCO-IGCP project in partnership with the UNESCO-IHP

Working Group on Land Subsidence

Ground ruptures (Earth Fissures and reactivation of pre-existing surface Faults) caused by extraction of Fluids from the subsurface (F3) have been observed in hundreds of sedimentary basins worldwide, mainly in USA and in semiarid areas of developing countries such as Mexico, China, India, Libya, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Unexpected fissure generation and fault activation associated with anthropogenic land subsidence strongly impact on the development of urban settlements, industrial centers, agricultural and other economic activities. In this IGCP641 project we propose a scientific cooperative program between institutions and researchers to improve the understanding of the processes involved in ground rupturing. M3EF3 plans to use an integrated approach made by in-situ Monitoring of surface deformation, remote sensing techniques, hydro-Mechanical laboratory characterization, and mathematical Modeling (M3).

H51A-1342

Uttar Pradesh, INDIA Wadi Najran, SAUDI ARABIA

Xi’an, CHINA

Wuxi, CHINA

Rift Valley, ETHIOPIA

Ciudad Guzmán, MEXICO

Morelia, MEXICO

Celaya, MEXICO

Fremont Valley, CALIFORNIA

Guadalentin Valley, SPAIN

Cedar Valley, UTAH

Pichaco, ARIZONA

Marvdasht Plain, IRAN

Wadi Al-Yutamah, SAUDI ARABIA

Sirjan, IRAN

MODELING

MONITORING MECHANISMS

HOW TO JOIN

Dora Carreón-Freyre (UNAM, Mexico), Devin L. Galloway (USGS, USA), Pietro Teatini (Univ. of Padova, Italy), and Shujun Ye (Nanjing Univ., China)

ABSTRACT

Examples of ad hoc instrumentation developed to monitor opening and sliding of earth fissures or faults activated by the overdraft of aquifer resources. (left) 3-D

instrumentation installed in the northern Beijing plain, China; (right) 1-D apparatus established in Iztapalapa, Mexico City

www.igcp641.org

(a) West-east and (b) vertical displacements (mm) in 2009 at Xi’an, China, obtained by simultaneously processing descending and ascending SAR images

Sketch of the mechanisms inducing ground ruptures: (i)

horizontal displacement due to shearing on the plane of weakness

or to tensile failure; (ii) reactivation of an existing fault

caused by horizontal displacements; (iii) tensile fracture

above a bedrock ridge; (iv) differential compaction due to

heterogeneous thickness of aquifer (rigid)/aquitard

(compressible) layers

Sketches of the typical geological setting ground rupture in Queretaro City (a) and Wuxi, China (b). Perspective views of the preliminary 3-D FE-IE grids used to simulate (above) fault re-activation in Queretaro, Mexico, and (below) fissure opening in Wuxi (China). The materials are highlighted in various colours: rock in red, aquifers in blue, and aquitards in green.

IE model solution in Wuxi

IE model solution in Queretaro

Queretaro: IE fault mesh

Wuxi: IE fissure mesh

Fissure sliding [m]

Fissure opening [m]

Signs warning motorists of fissure hazard