Paper contribution

Permeability and acoustic emission response characteristics during injection-induced fault slip

Ke Zhang; Qiang Li; Yueqiang Ma; Sida Jia; Jinsen Li; Quan Gan; Derek Elsworth

Proceedings
EUROCK 2026
Pages
139-144
Submitted
28 January 2026
Accepted
15 June 2026
Published
12 August 2026

Summary

Abstract

Here we performed fluid injection experiments on granite samples containing smooth faults under varying initial critical stress states. Results demonstrate that the initial critical stress state exerts first-order control on seismic activity, with critically stressed faults exhibiting stronger seismic responses during activation. During injection, the pressure rapidly increases and then stabilizes at a constant level. Under different critical stress conditions, injection-induced reactivation of faults will result in a different acoustic emission response. Slip events occur abruptly, highlighting the sudden and destructive nature of injection-induced unstable slip. We found that faults closer to critical instability exhibited shorter failure durations, manifested as AE signals concentrated within a narrower time window. This work elucidates how initial fault stress governs the co-evolution of permeability and acoustic emission response, advancing understanding of injection-induced seismicity physics.

Contributors

Authors

  1. Ke Zhang State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  2. Qiang Li State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  3. Yueqiang Ma State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  4. Sida Jia State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  5. Jinsen Li State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
  6. Quan Gan State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China; School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China ORCID 0000-0001-5201-8817
  7. Derek Elsworth Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, EMS Energy Institute and G3 Center, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

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References

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