Shallow Aseismic Slip in the Delaware Basin Determined by Sentinel‐1 InSAR

The Delaware Basin, Texas is currently a hot-spot of induced seismicity and ground deformation due to fluid extraction injection associated with horizontal drilling techniques; however, the driving mechanism behind remains under debate. Using vertical east-west surface measurements derived from Sentinel-1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), we show that subsurface responds differently oil gas activity in northern southeastern portions basin. In north, where there little seismicity, patterns display long-wavelengths equidimensional patterns. contrast, southeast region hosts most displays spatial narrow linear features strike parallel maximum principal stress trends suggesting movement along normal faults. We model feature using edge dislocations InSAR observations can be reproduced by slip on faults contained within Mountain Group (DMG), formation local wastewater majority earthquakes. Our consists three parallel, high-angle faults, two dipping toward one another graben structure. Slip magnitudes reach up 25 cm are spatially correlated wells. Measured only explain ∼2% fault motion predicted our model, leading predominantly aseismic. conclude seismic aseismic Basin likely driven near critically-stressed DMG.