Which outcome occurs when rapid water injection into a fracture zone within a geothermal reservoir triggers numerous small earthquakes?

💡 Explanation

Enhanced geothermal systems use hydraulic fracturing to increase permeability in low-permeability rocks; this manipulates effective stress, causing increased seismicity that increases yield, because pore pressure diffusion alters the shear strength, therefore the efficiency increases, rather than options B, C, or D which are unrelated triggers.

• Which outcome results when glacial meltwater increases sediment discharge into a proglacial lake?
• Which outcome enhances global heat transfer due to ocean upwelling?
• Which consequence results when sand supply decreases forming dunes?
• Which process most directly forms narrow, steep-sided fjords along coastlines over geological timescales?
• Which geological outcome results when wind deflation surpasses sediment replacement?
• Which outcome typically occurs when ephemeral stream systems encounter an abrupt decrease in gradient?