• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2006

The risk of fault reactivation in the Gippsland Basin was calculated using the FAST (Fault Analysis Seal Technology) technique, which determines fault reactivation risk by estimating the increase in pore pressure required to cause reactivation within the present-day stress field. The stress regime in the Gippsland Basin is on the boundary between strike-slip and reverse faulting: maximum horizontal stress $({\sim}\;40.5\;Mpa/km)$ > vertical stress (21 Mpa/km) ${\sim}$ minimum horizontal stress (20 MPa/km). Pore pressure is hydrostatic above the Campanian Volcanics of the Golden Beach Subgroup. The NW-SE maximum horizontal stress orientation $(139^{\circ}N)$ determined herein is broadly consistent with previous estimates, and verifies a NW-SE maximum horizontal stress orientation in the Gippsland Basin. Fault reactivation risk in the Gippsland Basin was calculated using two fault strength scenarios; cohesionless faults $(C=0;{\mu}=0.65)$ and healed faults $(C=5.4;\;{\mu}=0.78)$. The orientations of faults with relatively high and relatively low reactivation potential are almost identical for healed and cohesionless fault strength scenarios. High-angle faults striking NE-SW are unlikely to reactivate in the current stress regime. High-angle faults oriented SSE-NNW and ENE-WSW have the highest fault reactivation risk. Additionally, low-angle faults (thrust faults) striking NE-SW have a relatively high risk of reactivation. The highest reactivation risk for optimally oriented faults corresponds to an estimated pore pressure increase (Delta-P) of 3.8 MPa $({\sim}548\;psi)$ for cohesionless faults and 15.6 MPa $({\sim}2262\;psi)$ for healed faults. The absolute values of pore pressure increase obtained from fault reactivation analysis presented in this paper are subject to large errors because of uncertainties in the geomechanical model (in situ stress and rock strength data). In particular, the maximum horizontal stress magnitude and fault strength data are poorly constrained. Therefore, fault reactivation analysis cannot be used to directly measure the maximum allowable pore pressure increase within a reservoir. We argue that fault reactivation analysis of this type can only be used for assessing the relative risk of fault reactivation and not to determine the maximum allowable pore pressure increase a fault can withstand prior to reactivation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.4 s.63
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• pp.307-312
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• 2006

Radionuclide released from corroded container migrates through groundwater flow pathway in the underground rock. Therefore it is important to study the groundwater flow analysis for total system performance assessment of a HLW repository. In this study assuming a geological change of underground rock in future, the two dimensional groundwater flow analysis is done by the NAMMU, the assessment code for groundwater flow in porous media. Assuming the hypothetical repository with the reactivation of fault in the vicinity of it, the effect of change in aperture and permeability by reactivation of fault around a repository on groundwater pathway is studied.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2016

In this paper, we perform a numerical analysis to evaluate the potential of fault reactivation during gas production from hydrate bearing sediments and the moment magnitude of induced seismicity. For the numerical analysis, sequential coupling of TOUGH+Hydrate and FLAC3D was used and the change in effective stress and consequent geomechanical deformation including fault reactivation was simulated by assuming that Mohr-Coulomb shear resistance criterion is valid. From the test production simulation of 30 days, we showed that pore pressure reduction as well as effective stress change hardly induces the fault reactivation in the vicinity of a production well. We also investigated the influence of stress state conditions to a fault reactivation, and showed that normal fault stress regime, where vertical stress is relatively greater than horizontal, may have the largest potential for the reactivation. We tested one simulation that earthquake can be induced during gas production and calculated the moment magnitude of the seismicity. Our calculation presented that all the magnitudes from the calculation were negative values, which indicates that induced earthquakes can be grouped into micro-seismic and as small as hardly perceived by human beings. However, it should be noted that the current simulation was carried out using the highly simplified geometric model and assumptions such that the further simulations for a scheduled test production and commercial scale production considering complex geometric conditions may produce different results.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.66-73
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• 2001

Yangsan fault in the southeastern part of Korean peninsula has been locally reactivated along a prexisted fault during the late Pleistocene time. Geomorphological evidence of the reactivation is revealed at the northern segment(Yugye-ri, Tosung-ri areas) of the Yangsan fault. The reactivation is distinctively characterized by fault gouge and fracture zone with high frequency in the Yugye-ri area. Obique slip separation of the area is about three meters of the middle terrace. The cumulative vertical displacement is recognized after the formation of the middle terrace. Age of the reactivated faulting is constrained to during the formation of dissected valley deposits. Average vertical slip based on paleo-event is inferred to about 0.5-0.7 meter in this area.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.335-358
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• 2020

We present a numerical model to simulate coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of fault using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. This study aims to develop a numerical method to estimate fluid injection-induced fault reactivation in low permeability rock and to access the relevant hydro-mechanical stability in rock as part of DECOVALEX-2019 Task B. A coupled fluid flow and mechanical interface model to explicitly represent a fault was suggested and validated from the applications to benchmark simulations and the field experiment at Mont Terri underground laboratory in Switzerland. The pressure build-up, hydraulic aperture evolution, displacement, and stress responses matched those obtained at the site, which indicates the capability of the model to appropriately capture the hydro-mechanical processes in rock fault.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2016

Here we firstly present that a timing of reactivated event of Yangsan fault, the major fault in the southeastern Korean Peninsula, by using combined approaches of the optimized illite-polytype quantification, the K-Ar age-dating, and the recently developed illite-age-analysis (IAA) approach for the fault clays from Sangcheon-ri area of Yangsan main fault line. Two chronological record of brittle fault-activation event at about 41.5~43.5 and 50.7 Ma were determined from 3 fault gouges suggesting a crucial reactivation time-scheme. Furthermore, the regional processes that drive tectonics to form and reactivate the Yangsan fault may be explained from the chronological analysis for additional sites along the Yangsan fault.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-213
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• 2019

We simulated the fault reactivation experiment conducted at 'Main Fault' intersecting the low permeability clay formations of Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. We formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relation of hydraulic aperture to consider the elastic fracture opening and failure-induced dilation for reproducing the abrupt changes in injection flow rate and monitoring pressure at fracture opening pressure. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of in-situ stress condition and fault deformation and strength parameters and to find the optimal parameter set to reproduce the field observations. In the best matching simulation, the fracture opening pressure and variations of injection flow rate and monitoring pressure showed good agreement with field experiment results, which suggests the capability of the numerical model to reasonably capture the fracture opening and propagation process. The model overestimated the fault displacement in shear direction and the range of reactivated zone, which was attributed to the progressive shear failures along the fault at high injection pressure. In the field experiment results, however, fracture tensile opening seems the dominant mechanism affecting the hydraulic aperture increase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.177-184
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• 2006

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.670-691
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• 2018

This study presents the research results of the BMT(Benchmark Model Test) simulations of the DECOVALEX-2019 project Task B. Task B named 'Fault slip modelling' is aiming at developing a numerical method to predict fault reactivation and the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of fault. BMT scenario simulations of Task B were conducted to improve each numerical model of participating group by demonstrating the feasibility of reproducing the fault behavior induced by water injection. The BMT simulations consist of seven different conditions depending on injection pressure, fault properties and the hydro-mechanical coupling relations. TOUGH-FLAC simulator was used to reproduce the coupled hydro-mechanical process of fault slip. A coupling module to update the changes in hydrological properties and geometric features of the numerical mesh in the present study. We made modifications to the numerical model developed in Task B Step 1 to consider the changes in compressibility, Permeability and geometric features with hydraulic aperture of fault due to mechanical deformation. The effects of the storativity and transmissivity of the fault on the hydro-mechanical behavior such as the pressure distribution, injection rate, displacement and stress of the fault were examined, and the results of the previous step 1 simulation were updated using the modified numerical model. The simulation results indicate that the developed model can provide a reasonable prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior related to fault reactivation. The numerical model will be enhanced by continuing interaction and collaboration with other research teams of DECOVALEX-2019 Task B and validated using the field experiment data in a further study.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.33-40
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• 2006

Since early 1990's, several Quaternary faults have been found in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula with reference to fault activity. Because some of these faults could be considered a capable fault, it is a very delicate matter, which need to be deal with carefully in assessing the seismic hazard. In determining whether or not a faults are capable, because of the low rate of seismicity and insufficient relationship between instrumental macro-seismicity and fault, there has been considerable debate among geologists and geophysicists in Korea. In this study, we discuss the criteria and probabilistic approaches that are used to assess whether or not a fault is seismogenic. And, we preliminarily also suggest the probability of fault activity from the spatial association between faults and earthquake epicenters, fault slip and tectonic stress, and geological evidence for multiple episodes of reactivation.