On May 23, the scientific journal Geophysical Journal International published the results of a study carried out by Jean Letort, a teacher-researcher at IRAP/OMP in Toulouse and a member of Epos-France. The study was prompted by the observation that, every year since 1969 and until recently, numerous earthquakes of anthropogenic origin have been detected in the Lacq region, between Pau and Orthez in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, without their exact cause being clearly identified. The results confirm the hypothesis that industrial wastewater injections are the cause of the region’s seismicity!
The same day the article was published in GJI, the University of Toulouse III issued a press release announcing the results of this study, followed the next day by the CNRS. In the days and weeks that followed, some twenty articles appeared in the regional and national press, then in magazines.
This widespread coverage in the “general public” press demonstrates the importance to society of research based on observational data, in this case to determine the impact of human activities on seismicity. These data are collected by the permanent and temporary networks of high-performance seismological sensors deployed in the area in recent years. Thanks to the density and precision of the new measurements, it has been possible to detect hundreds of induced microseisms per year, and to pinpoint their exact location in the gas reservoir, at a depth of around 4-5km. These new precise locations, compiled with older data, have shown a strong correlation between seismicity and the injection operations carried out in this reservoir.
To know more (french only)
- CNRS Press release – May 24 – LIEN
- News Epos-France – May 27 – LIEN
- Sud Ouest – 23 – LIEN
- La république des Pyrénées – May 23 – LIEN
- France 3 Occitanie – May 27 – LIEN
- Nouvelle république des Pyrénées – May 24 – LIEN
- Huffpost – May 25 – LIEN
- Ouest France – May 24 – LIEN
- TF1 info – May 25 – LIEN
- 20 Minutes – May 25 – LIEN
- MSN – May 26 – LIEN
- Libération – May 25 – LIEN
- Capital – May 27 – LIEN
- Reporterre – May 27 – LIEN
- France 3 Aquitaine – May 27 – LIEN
- Pyrénées FM – May 28 – LIEN
- Sud Ouest – May 30 – LIEN
- Actu environnement – May 30 – LIEN
- Minute news – May 31 – LIEN
- Charlie Hebdo – June 12 – LIEN
- Pour la science – July issue
