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Linking Coupled Reservoir Modeling to Dynamic Rupture Modeling: An Automated Workflow to Simulate Induced Seismicity in Faulted Geothermal Systems

Habibi, Rahim 1; Ulrich, Thomas; Gabriel, Alice-Agnes; Kohl, Thomas 1; Gaucher, Emmanuel ORCID iD icon 1
1 Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften (AGW), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

Induced seismicity associated with subsurface fluid injection poses significant challenges for geothermal reservoir management. While quasi-static models capture long-term pressure, temperature, and stress evolution, dynamic rupture codes resolve transient earthquake mechanics. In this study, we develop a fully coupled framework that integrates both approaches to simulate fault reactivation and induced seismicity in a synthetic geothermal system. Unlike previous one-way coupled frameworks, our approach implements a closed-loop feedback, where stress redistribution from dynamically simulated seismic events is fed back into the quasi-static THM reservoir model. A 3D thermo-hydro-mechanical model tracks stress build-up during injection until a failure criterion is met, triggering a transition to a dynamic rupture solver that computes
spontaneous 3D rupture propagation and seismic wave radiation. An automated coupling protocol ensures seamless data exchange between solvers. We demonstrate the framework by simulating two injection-induced events on a single-fault res-
ervoir model. Results show that event-driven fault displacements and dynamic stress transfers significantly alter reservoir stress states. ... mehr


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000195943
Veröffentlicht am 04.08.2026
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften (AGW)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsjahr 2026
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 0723-2632, 1434-453X
KITopen-ID: 1000195943
Erschienen in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
Verlag Springer
Vorab online veröffentlicht am 21.07.2026
Nachgewiesen in OpenAlex
Web of Science
Scopus
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