Abstract
Water levels in three adjacent water wells in the Yarmouk Gorge area have all responded to the 2020 Elazığ Mw 6.8 teleseismic earthquake. Water levels in two aquifers exhibited reciprocal behavior: during the first eight days after the earthquake, water level decreased by 40 cm in the deeper highly confined aquifer, and increased by 90 cm in the shallower less confined aquifer. The recovery of the water levels in both aquifers continued for at least three months. We interpret these observations as reflecting the increase in damage along the fault at the Yarmouk Gorge. Ground shaking increased the damage and permeability of this fault, temporarily connecting the two aquifers, allowing flow from the deep aquifer to the shallow one. Model results showing decreased permeability suggest that the fault healed by one order of magnitude within three days. This is the first documentation of decrease in permeability in a fault zone within such short time scales.
Highlights
Triggering of Damage Followed by Hydraulic and mechanical properties of rocks change during and after remote earthquakes due to damage and healing/sealing processes [1]
During the first 10 days, the water level in Meizar 1 well decreased by 40 cm and recovered towards its pre-event value
In Meizar 3 well, the water level increased by 90 cm and started to decay back to its pre-event value (Figure 6)
Summary
Triggering of Damage Followed by Hydraulic and mechanical properties of rocks change during and after remote earthquakes due to damage and healing/sealing processes [1]. When the fault is active during seismic-induced shaking, the permeability of the fault increases due to fracture damage enhancement while the mechanical properties decrease [2]. Faults recover their mechanical properties through fracture healing/sealing and the permeability decreases as a result of a combination of chemical and mechanical processes [4,5,6]. Aquifer permeability has been observed to be enhanced by transient stresses induced by distant earthquakes [7,8,9]. Other studies show the co-seismic effects of earthquakes on fault permeability [10,11] or long time permeability variations [12]. Wang et al [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
