The background color indicates relative stress magnitudes, or style of faulting. This new-generation stress map of North America includes the first view of the style of faulting across the continent as well as more than 300 new measurements of the direction from which the greatest pressure occurs in the Earth’s crust. The map was produced by compiling new and previously published measurements from boreholes as well as inferences about kinds or “styles” of faults based on earthquakes that have occurred in the past. The new research provides the first quantitative synthesis of faulting across the entire continent, as well as hundreds of measurements of compressive stress directions – the direction from which the greatest pressure occurs in the Earth’s crust. “In some cases, it has immediate application, in others, it may be applied decades later to practical questions that do not exist today.” First continental synthesis of data Page Professor of Geophysics in Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). “Understanding the forces in the Earth’s crust is fundamental science,” said study co-author Mark Zoback, the Benjamin M. But they also pose a whole new set of questions that the researchers hope will stimulate a wide range of modeling studies. The findings, published in Nature Communications on April 23, have implications for understanding and mitigating problems associated with induced seismicity – human-caused earthquakes – from unconventional oil and gas recovery, especially in Oklahoma, Texas and other areas targeted for energy exploration. Now, in a new, expanded map of the tectonic stresses acting on North America, Stanford researchers present the most comprehensive view yet of the forces at play beneath the Earth’s surface. Their discoveries also help us plan for the future by preparing us for earthquakes, determining where to drill for oil and gas, and more. (Image credit: Alexlky/iStock)Įarth scientists pursue these fundamental questions to gain a better understanding of our planet’s deep past and present workings. New research has direct applications for understanding and mitigating problems associated with induced seismicity – human-caused earthquakes – from unconventional oil and gas recovery.
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