The Seismic Cycle under HydrOThermal conditions: experimenTAl, analytical and modeling studies


Title: The Seismic Cycle under HydrOThermal conditions: experimenTAl, analytical and modeling studies

Principal Investigator: Giulio Di Toro | Programme: PRIN 2022 DM 104/2022

Total Contribution € 162.590,32 | Project Duration: 24 months

The injection and extraction of fluids (H2O, CO2, etc.) in deep reservoirs can generate earthquakes. This project, conducted by UNIPD in collaboration with the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italy), China Earthquake Administration (CEA, China) and Landvirkjun (Iceland), aims to reveal the relationships between fluid-rock interaction and stress loading in the control of the seismic cycle in geothermal reservoirs and the upper crust. Through a multidisciplinary scientific approach (rock deformation experiments, microanalysis of rocks and fluids, and numerical modeling), we aim to develop new methods for safer geothermal energy exploitation.

SCHOTTA publications at 20.6.2025

  1. Aldrighetti S., Pennacchioni G., Di Toro G., 2025. Earthquake dynamics from pseudotachylyte microstructure. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 663, pp. 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119424.
  2. Masoch S., Dallai L., Gomila R., Fondriest M., Novella D., Pennacchioni G., Cembrano J., Pennacchioni G., Di Toro G., 2025. Evolving fluid source during the growth of a trench-parallel seismogenic fault system. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems,vol. 26, pp. 1-17, https://doi.org.10.1029/2024GC011998.
  3. Yao L., Feng W., Cornelio C., Shimamoto T., Ma S., Di Toro G., 2025. Seismic fault slip at depths simulated by high-velocity friction experiments under hydrothermal conditions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 122 (15), e2415700122.
  4. Masoch S., Pennacchioni G., Fondriest M., Gomila R., Poli P, Cembrano J., Di Toro G., 2025. Earthquake swarms frozen in an exhumed hydrothermal system (Bolfin Fault Zone, Chile). Solid Earth EGUsphere, vol. 16, pp. 23-43. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-23-2025.
  5. Feng W., Yao L., Gomila R., Pennacchioni G., Ma S., Di Toro G.,2024.  Slip-dependence of fault frictional stability under hydrothermal conditions. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, pp. 1-10, e2024GL108525. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108525
  6. Feng W., Yao L., Cornelio C., Gomila R., Ma S., Yang C., Germinario L., Mazzoli C. and Di Toro G., 2023. Physical state of water controls friction of gabbro-built faults. Nature Communications vol. 14, article 4612, pp. 1-9,  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40313-x