Fluids and Seismicity in Natural and Industrial Environments

About this Research Topic

Background

Fluid circulation within the Earth's crust contributes to heat redistribution, and modifies local stress and pore pressure regimes. Fluid injection, whether naturally occurring or anthropogenically induced, is a primary mechanism for reducing the effective normal stress on fault planes, thereby promoting fault reactivation and seismicity. Fluids not only nucleate and sustain seismicity but also modulate the spatio-temporal evolution of seismic sequences and post-seismic deformation. Furthermore, quantitative parameters describing both seismic source and rheological properties - such as those characterizing magnitude-frequency distribution, rupture dynamics and crustal structural properties - may have systematic variations associated with fluid pressure transients and migration paths, by tracking fluid-fault interaction. Understanding fluid behavior in relation to earthquakes’ occurrence is essential for time-dependent hazard assessment in industrial settings, enhancing predictive capabilities for induced seismicity and risk management. In volcanic environments, fluids—including magma, volatiles, and hydrothermal fluids—affect crustal mechanics, drive volcanic unrest, and influence eruption dynamics. Monitoring fluid migration in these systems is critical for forecasting volcanic activity and mitigating associated hazards.

While the role of fluids in the initiation and evolution of seismicity is increasingly recognized, the underlying mechanisms and processes are still under study. Key areas of investigation include the relative importance of fluid overpressure, aseismic slip, and stress changes in driving seismicity; the understanding of fracture mechanics; the influence of fluid circulation on the spatio-temporal evolution of sequences; the impact on fault stability and seismic hazard; the study of fluid-fault interaction as a potential precursor signature for earthquakes and how these factors differ between natural and induced swarms. Advances in high-resolution seismic tomography now allow better imaging of subsurface heterogeneities, tracing of fluid pathways, and detection of temporal changes in physical properties associated with evolving sequences or volcanic unrest. Complementary stress analyses during the co- and post-seismic phases clarify how fluid migration and fault slip modify the stress field, affecting aftershock distributions and the potential for secondary fault triggering.

To gather further insights into fluid-driven seismicity, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- The role of fluids in triggering and / or controlling seismicity in tectonic, hydrothermal, volcanic, and industrial system settings.
- Conditions and mechanisms for fluid-driven fault activation and seismic swarming
- Modulation of seismic source parameters and implications for earthquake scaling laws
- Development of multi-parametric monitoring techniques for fluid detection in the crust
- Impact of fluid migration on fault stability and seismic hazards
- Fluid-fault interactions as a potential precursor signature for earthquakes

Submissions from studies leveraging data-driven approaches, modeling, and simulations to advance the knowledge of how fluids affect seismic activities in varied geological contexts are encouraged. Potential contributions should aim for novel insights that integrate observational, theoretical, and computational perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of fluid-driven seismicity.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Fluid-driven seismicity, Fluid-fracture interaction, Stress transfer, Seismic hazard assessment, Integrated monitoring

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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