Induced Seismicity by Groundwater Extraction at the Dead Sea Fault, Jordan

Abstract

The earthquake sequence, with a maximum earthquake magnitude of MW 3.8, that occurred during January–February 2022 at the northern Dead Sea fault, is shown to be induced by extensive groundwater abstraction in Wadi Al‐Arab basin. Wadi Al‐Arab basin, which is bordered in the west by the Dead Sea fault, has been overexploited by extensive groundwater abstraction causing significant drawdowns. Relative earthquake relocation indicates an elongated S‐N sequence subparallel to the Dead Sea fault. We simulate the three‐dimensional hydraulic head changes in the past 40 years at Wadi al Arab basin. Results show that the drawdowns at the Dead Sea fault wells reached a value greater than 180 m. We use these results to further model the poroelastic effects of the drawdown on the stability of the Dead Sea fault using a typical fault architecture including fault core surrounded by damage zone. Upward groundwater drainage through the permeable damage zone leads to compaction and strengthening. Failure on the Dead Sea fault is expected to occur on the impermeable fault core or at the protholith where weakening is expected. Groundwater abstraction in Wadi Al‐Arab basin cause changes of a few MPa in the Coulmb Failure Stress (ΔCFS) and trigger seismicity in these sections. This is the second location along the Dead Sea fault where groundwater abstraction was shown to recently induce earthquakes. With growing demand for water and long lasting droughts in the Middle East, seismicity induced by groundwater abstraction might reoccur in the near future.

The Damaging Effects of Abstracting the Deep Aquifers’ Groundwater in Jordan-Quality Constraints

“…• In some areas, extractions from deep groundwater have led to enhanced seismicity due to pressure release within aquifers such as what happened in Wadi Arab, Yarmouk, and Lake Tiberias area (Shalev et al, 2023).…”

Homogenizing instrumental earthquake catalogs – a case study around the Dead Sea Transform Fault Zone

“…Finally, the cluster of post-1985 seismicity east of the DSTFZ, in south Jordan (Latitude ~30; Figure 11), is most likely related to potash mines (Rodgers et al, 2003). Groundwater extraction is also linked to a few clusters in and around Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee; Shalev et al, 2023). Although we cannot exclude other instances of anthropogenic seismicity, we are not aware of other established cases.…”