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Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Seismicity in the Olkaria Geothermal Field for the Period 2019 to 2022
Junior NJEHIA KIMATA, Fadel ISLAM, Mark Van Der MEIJDE
[KenGen, Kenya]
Monitoring of seismic activity is key to understanding dynamic Earth processes. In the Olkaria geothermal field (OGF), passive seismic monitoring experiments have played a critical role in the identification of tectonic boundaries, magmatic bodies, and the characterization of its geothermal resources. However, limited studies have been carried out to understand the spatial-temporal characteristics of the dynamic earth process taking place in the OGF, including faulting and fluid movement in the subsurface. This is largely attributed to the lack of a permanent seismic monitoring network in the OGF and its surroundings. To help address this problem, we deployed a temporal seismic network of 16 stations that operated for about 2.5 years between 2019 to 2022. The seismic network was centered on the Olkaria East and Olkaria Domes geothermal fields, where there has been an exponential increase in geothermal operations over the last decade. Analysis of the spatial-temporal characteristics of seismicity in the OGF reveals a wide distribution of the events. We also note that geothermal activity and the geological structures have a great influence on the distribution of the seismic events.
Topic: Geophysics