Microseismic events cause significant pH drops in groundwater
Stillings, M. and Lunn, R. J. and Pytharouli, S. and Shipton, Z. K. and Kinali, M. and Lord, R. and Thompson, S. (2021) Microseismic events cause significant pH drops in groundwater. Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (2). e2020GL089885. ISSN 0094-8276 (https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089885)
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Abstract
Earthquakes cause rock fracturing, opening new flow pathways which can result in the mixing of previously isolated geofluids with differing geochemistries. Here we present the first evidence that seismic events can significantly reduce groundwater pH without the requirement for fluid mixing, solely through the process of dynamic rock fracturing. At the Grimsel Test Site, Switzerland, we observe repeated, short-lived groundwater pH drops of 1-3.5 units, while major and minor ion groundwater concentrations remain constant. Acidification coincides with reservoir drainage and induced microseismic events. In laboratory experiments, we demonstrate that fresh rock surfaces made by particle cracking interact with the in situ water molecules, likely through creation of surface silanols and silica radicals, increasing the H+ concentration and significantly lowering groundwater pH. Our findings are significant; pH exerts a fundamental control on the rate and outcome of most aqueous geochemical reactions and microseismic events are commonplace, even in seismically inactive regions.
ORCID iDs
Stillings, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8418-6866, Lunn, R. J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4258-9349, Pytharouli, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2899-1518, Shipton, Z. K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2268-7750, Kinali, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9589-8575, Lord, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5737-5140 and Thompson, S.;-
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Item type: Article ID code: 74996 Dates: DateEvent28 January 2021Published17 December 2020Published Online6 December 2020AcceptedSubjects: Technology > Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) > Environmental engineering Department: Faculty of Engineering > Civil and Environmental Engineering
Strategic Research Themes > EnergyDepositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 07 Jan 2021 14:38 Last modified: 14 Dec 2024 01:28 URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/74996