To date, microseismicity has provided an invaluable tool for delineating the fracture network produced by hydraulic stimulation of geothermal reservoirs. While the locations of microseismic events are of fundamental importance, there is a wealth of information that can be gleaned from the induced seismicity (e.g. fault plane solutions, seismic moment tensors, source characteristics). Closer scrutiny of the spatial and temporal evolution of seismic moment tensors can shed light on systematic characteristics of fractures in the geothermal reservoir. When related to observations from laboratory experiments, these systematic trends can be interpreted in terms of mechanical processes that most likely operate in the fracture network. This paper reports on mechanical properties that can be inferred from observations of microseismicity in geothermal systems. These properties lead to interpretations about fracture initiation, seismicity induced after hydraulic shut-in, spatial evolution of linked fractures, and temporal evolution of fracture strength. The correlations highlight the fact that a combination of temperature, stressing rate, time, and fluid-rock interactions can alter the mechanical and fluid transport properties of fractures in geothermal systems.

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