Slip tendency analysis of major faults in Germany
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Steffen Ahlers
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, KIT, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Sophia Morawietz
Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Institute of Applied Geosciences, TU Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Birgit Müller
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
Karsten Reiter
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, KIT, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Oliver Heidbach
Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Institute of Applied Geosciences, TU Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Andreas Henk
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, KIT, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Tobias Hergert
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, KIT, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Frank Schilling
Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, TU Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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Reactivation of tectonic faults can lead to earthquakes and jeopardize underground operations. The reactivation potential is linked to fault properties and the tectonic stress field. We create 3D geometries for major faults in Germany and use stress data from a 3D geomechanical–numerical model to calculate their reactivation potential and compare it to seismic events. The reactivation potential in general is highest for NNE–SSW- and NW–SE-striking faults and strongly depends on the fault dip.
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Knowledge about the stress state in the upper crust is of great importance for many economic and scientific questions. However, our knowledge in Germany is limited since available datasets only provide pointwise, incomplete and heterogeneous information. We present the first 3D geomechanical model that provides a continuous description of the contemporary crustal stress state for Germany. The model is calibrated by the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress and stress magnitudes.
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Cited articles
Ahlers, S., Henk, A., Hergert, T., Reiter, K., Müller, B., Röckel, L., Heidbach, O., Morawietz, S., Scheck-Wenderoth, M., and Anikiev, D.: 3D crustal stress state of Germany according to a data-calibrated geomechanical model, Solid Earth, 12, 1777–1799, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-12-1777-2021, 2021.