Prof.  Victor  Novikov
Joint Institute for High Temperatures of Russian Academy of Science,  Russia

Title: Is it possible to prevent catastrophic earthquakes? Insight from field and laboratory experiments on high-power DC current injection into the Earth crust

Abstract:

Key Words: DC electric current injection, earthquake triggering, earthquake control

Objectives: An overview of the state-of-the art of pioneering research carried out in Russia on the electric/electromagnetic triggering of weak seismicity is presented. The overview covers field experiments and laboratory experiments on high-power DC current injection into the Earth crust for artificial partial release of tectonic stresses by local electric processing of the Earth crust resulted in earthquake hazard mitigation.

Methods: The field experiments on DC electric pulses injection were started more than forty years ago at Garm geophysical test site (Tajikistan, Pamir mountains) and were continued at the test site near Bishkek city, Kirgizia (Northern Tien Shan) in 1978 with application of pulsed magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) power systems, and ERGU-600 pulsed electric system (PES) powered from industrial electric line. The PESs provided DC current of 600-2500 A in emitting dipole grounded into the earth crust with a distance between electrodes of about 4 km. The prime goal of the field experiments was deep electromagnetic (EM) sounding of the Earth crust for monitoring of EM precursors of strong earthquakes.

Results: After a few years of operation of MHD power systems it was found that electric pulses provided a spatiotemporal re-distribution of local seismicity. During forty years of the filed experiments there is clear deficit of strong earthquakes in the region under study (100 x 100 km). The results of monitoring of seismic activity by KNET seismic stations were supported by measurement of acoustic emission in the wells during the sessions of DC current injections.

The field results were verified under laboratory conditions with application of various press equipment and spring-block sliders simulated behavior of the fault during its electric processing. Some theoretical attempts were taken to explain the electric/electromagnetic triggering phenomena, which consider not only interaction of electric/EM-fields with stressed rocks, but fluid migration under electric action which may result in triggering of weak earthquakes.

Conclusion: Today it is clearly shown that the electric processing of the Earth crust may be used for development of advanced technology of prevention or mitigation of catastrophic earthquakes. The future research should be directed to application of electric processing of the seismogenic fault for transformation of "stick-slip" seismic mode to the mode of slow-slip events or creep.

Biography:

Education:           Graduated from Tula Polytechnic University in 1976

Department: Mechanical Engineering

Specialty: Solid propellant rocket engines.

PhD, 1998 (power units based on renewable energy sources)

Professional experience record:

Date:             1976 – 1988

Company:            Federal Center of Dual-Use Technologies "Soyuz"

Location:              Dzerzhinskiy, Moscow Region, Russia       http://www.fcdt.ru

The Federal Center for Dual-Use Technologies "Soyuz" is one of leading enterprises of the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. More than 80 percent of modern Russian missiles are equipped with propellant, designed in the "Soyuz" enterprise.

Position:        Engineer, Senior Engineer, Head of Research Group

Description:          Solid propellant & plasma generator design for pulsed magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) power systems

Date:             1988-till present

Company:             Joint Institute for High Temperatures of Russian Academy of Sciences (JIHT RAS)

Location:              Moscow, Russia        http://jiht.ru

Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences is the leading research institute in the fields of high energy densities physics, shock wave physics, thermodynamics databases, numerical simulations and cluster computing, dusty plasma, applied electrodynamics, combustion, green power and many others.

Position:                Senior researcher (1988-1998), head of laboratory of pulsed power systems for geophysics (1998-till present)

Field of research:  R&D of pulsed MHD power systems, application of pulsed MHD power systems for geology, geophysics, and aerospace. Seismicity triggered by high-power electric pulses, development of backgrounds of earthquake control technology and earthquake short-term prediction based on earthquake triggering phenomena.