Research Professor
Jesus Carrera has been Research Professor at CSIC since 2006. Prior to that, he was Professor at the Technical University of Catalonia, where he had been head of the School of Civil Engineering (1992-1994) and Vice-President for Research (1994-1998). His research focuses on Groundwater Hydrology, with emphasis on quantitative modeling and integrative solutions to water related problems. He participates in many advisory committees, including the National Water Council or the plenary of National Research Evaluation Commission. In the process, he directed 30 doctoral theses, and supervised 20 postdoctoral scientists; he published some 200 journal papers (some 16 kcites, IH of 62, according to GS). He has received numerous awards (e.g., Spanish Academy of Sciences Medal, EGU’s Darcy Medal, PSIPW Prize for Water. He is member of Academia Europa and the US National Academy of Engineering .
https://www.idaea.csic.es/person/jesus-carrera/
https://h2ogeo.upc.edu/en/hydrogeochemistry-group/staff-directory-ghs#researchers-research-professors
May 30
Numerous geoenergy projects (geologic carbon storage, geothermal systems, gas storage or hydraulic fracturing) involve injection of fluids at depth. The resulting changes in stress often induce (micro)seismicity. While damages are usually minimal, public perception may be damaged, thus compromising the project viability. The problem is worsened by the numerous processes involved (hydraulic, mechanical, thermal, and often chemical), by the fact that they are intimately coupled, and by the diversity of failure settings. As a result, understanding is hard, which hinders not only numerical simulation, but also the design and operation of remediation and mitigation actions. We first review coupled process, from the traditional impact of pore pressure increase on stability, to stress transfer driven by pressure gradients or thermal contraction. This leads to a broad view of the induced seismicity operational mechanisms, which we summarize in five operational failure mechanisms (i.e., directly linked to fluid operation): pressure buildup, pressure dissipation, displacement transfer, thermal contraction, and buoyancy. Understanding them is needed to move beyond the traditional traffic light system into active pressure management to control induced seismicity.
