Raspberry Shake instruments provide initial ground motion assessment of the induced seismicity at the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project in Cornwall, UK

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Abstract

Raspberry Shake (RS) seismographs offer the potential for affordable and citizen-led seismic monitoring in areas with few publicly available seismometers, such as previously quiescent regions experiencing induced seismicity, but their scientific and regulatory potential remains largely untested. Here, we examine the ground motions recorded by eleven RS and one broadband station within 15 km of the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power (UDDGP) project in Cornwall, UK, to evaluate the RS network’s suitability to provide an initial seismic hazard assessment of the region. UDDGP has to date induced 232 microseismic events since flow testing began in summer 2020, targeting a fault zone within a granitic intrusion at 5 km depth, with two events exceeding local magnitude (M_L) 1.5. While the RS accelerometers are too noisy for analysis, the vertical geophones are useful. Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) observations are consistent with relevant ground motion models, while Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) values are greater than predicted. Regional trends in the PGA levels are likely caused by path and site effects. Finally, RS estimated M_L are similar to those reported by the British Geological Survey. For sparse national seismic networks, RS stations can enable a preliminary evaluation of seismic events and their ground motions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)27-34
Number of pages8
JournalSeismic Record
Volume1
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 May 2021

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