Seismic Monitoring of Baseflow and Groundwater Changes in the Yellowstone National Park

Abstract Relative seismic velocity changes (dv/v) are being increasingly used to monitor changes in groundwater. However, it remains challenging to verify its implementation in watersheds without direct groundwater well measurements. In this study, we conduct a 12‐year dv/v observation in a watershe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bingxu Luo, Hejun Zhu, David Lumley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111352
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Summary:Abstract Relative seismic velocity changes (dv/v) are being increasingly used to monitor changes in groundwater. However, it remains challenging to verify its implementation in watersheds without direct groundwater well measurements. In this study, we conduct a 12‐year dv/v observation in a watershed of the Yellowstone National Park (YNP). We find that the seasonal fluctuations and long‐term trend of the measured dv/v are highly correlated with the estimated baseflow, which serves as a constraint for groundwater changes. We integrate the estimated baseflow into a poroelastic mechanism and conduct two dv/v simulations based on pressure diffusion. These simulations closely match with our observed dv/v variations. In addition, our analysis suggest that the measured dv/v is primarily influenced by hydrologic pressure diffusion rather than surface air temperature. We conclude that the baseflow analysis can further enhance the seismic monitoring of groundwater changes.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007