Engineering Seismology
Prepared by the Case Histories Committee for the Engineering Geology Division of the Geological Society of America, these histories are intended as reference material for the practicing geologist and for the college student. This volume, the eighth in the Case History series, presents the seismological aspects of the works of man—the civil engineer or engineering geologist interacting with the environment. Topics are in two categories—changes at a point (nuclear or chemical explosions and well injection or withdrawal) and changes on a line (damming a river or construction along a coastline).
The Denver Area Earthquakes and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Disposal Well*
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Published:January 01, 1970
Abstract
During 196l, a deep well was drilled at the Rocky-Mountain Arsenal northeast of Denver, Colorado, to dispose of contaminated waste water. The well is bottomed in 75 feet of highly fractured Precambrian gneiss. Pressure injection of waste water into the fractured Precambrian rock was begun in March 1962. Since the start of fluid injection, 710 Denver-area earthquakes have been recorded. The majority of these earthquakes had epicenters within a five-mile radius of the Arsenal well. The volume of fluid and pressure of fluid injection appears to be directly related to the frequency of earthquakes. Evidence also suggests that rock movement is due to the increase of fluid pressure within the fractured reservoir and that open fractures may exist at depths greater than previously considered possible.