Spatial-temporal analysis of subsurface water content and applications in Oklahoma: wastewater injection induced earthquakes and a multi sensor soil moisture product
Subsurface water is liquid water found below the ground surface, including soil water above the water table and ground water below the water table, but does not include water chemically bound to minerals or organic matter. Two important contents of subsurface water in Oklahoma have aroused the interest of more and more scientists: the wastewater injected into the ground during the oil and gas production and the surface soil moisture. This dissertation aims to develop contributions to two important topics for the sustainability of Oklahoma that are related to earthquakes and water resources: (1) the effects of deep underground waste-water injection on triggering regional seismicity and (2) the quantification of state-wide shallow-soil water content as a new tool for multiple applications in reservoir management, water resources, agriculture, natural hazards, and water management. The results of this study could help in setting sustainable limits for the oil and gas extraction industry in order to minimize the expected number and magnitude of induced quakes, thus avoiding future human and property losses. The results of this study also provide a new perspective for comparatively assessing multi-source soil moisture products, as well as a basis for objective data merging to capitalize on the strengths of multi-sensor multiplatform soil moisture products. Moreover, the new merged soil moisture product will be beneficial for multiple applications in water resources management, agriculture, and natural hazards
