Time-dependent Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment Due to Wastewater Disposal in Oklahoma

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Presenter

Iason Grigoratos
Research Fellow
Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

In the past decade, Oklahoma has experienced unprecedented seismicity rates, including 4 events with Mw ≥ 5, following an increase in the volumes of wastewater fluids that are being disposed underground. These earthquakes affect infrastructure that was designed with little to no consideration of seismic demands causing some damages and widespread unrest in the public. Our goal was to assess the time-dependent nature of the seismic hazard and risk in Oklahoma and identify whether the seismicity rate increase is related to wastewater disposal.