Induced Earthquake Source Parameters, Attenuation, and Site Effects From Waveform Envelopes in the Fennoscandian Shield

Abstract

AbstractWe analyze envelopes of 233 and 22 ML0.0 to ML1.8 earthquakes induced by two geothermal stimulations in the Helsinki, Finland, metropolitan area. We separate source spectra and site terms and determine intrinsic attenuation and the scattering strength of shear waves in the 3–200 Hz frequency range using radiative transfer based synthetic envelopes. Displacement spectra yield scaling relations with a general deviation from self‐similarity, with a stronger albeit more controversial signal from the weaker 2020 stimulation. The 2020 earthquakes also tend to have a smaller local magnitude compared to 2018 earthquakes with the same moment magnitude. We discuss these connections in the context of fluid effects on rupture speed or medium properties. Site terms demonstrate that the spectral amplification relative to two reference borehole sites is not neutral at the other sensors; largest variations are observed at surface stations at frequencies larger than 30 Hz. Intrinsic attenuation is exceptionally low with values down to 2.4 × 10−5 at 20 Hz, which allows the observation of a diffuse reflection at the ∼50 km deep Moho. Scattering strength is in the range of globally observed data with between 10−3 and 10−4. The application of the employed Qopen analysis program to the 2020 data in a retrospective monitoring mode demonstrates its versatility as a seismicity processing tool. The diverse results have implications for scaling relations, hazard assessment and ground motion modeling, and imaging and monitoring using ballistic and scattered wavefields in the crystalline Fennoscandian Shield environment.