Marco Calò

Bio: Marco Calò is an academic researcher from National Autonomous University of Mexico. The author has contributed to research in topics: Geothermal gradient & Seismic tomography. The author has an hindex of 16, co-authored 38 publications receiving 546 citations. Previous affiliations of Marco Calò include Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre & University of Palermo.

Large-scale aseismic motion identified through 4-D P-wave tomography

Abstract: SUMMARY In 2000, a large water injection (over 23 000 m3) has been conducted in granite through a 5-km-deep borehole at Soultz-sous–Forets, in the Upper Rhine Graben (northeastern France). The microseismicity induced by this hydraulic stimulation was monitored with a network of 14 seismic stations deployed at ground surface. Some 7215 well-located events have been used to conduct a 4-D tomography of P-wave velocities. The method combines a double-difference tomography method with an averaging post-processing that corrects for parameter dependence effects. The total set of 7 215 events has been divided into 14 subsets that explore periods defined with respect to the injection scheme. Particular attention is given to changes in injected flow rates, periods of stationary injection conditions and post-injection periods. Fast changes in VP velocities are identified in large rock mass volumes precisely when the injection flow rate varies while little velocity variation is detected during stationary injection periods. The VP anomalies observed during stationary injection conditions are interpreted as being caused by effective stress variations linked to fluid diffusion, while the fast changes observed concomitantly to changes in flow rate are considered to be caused by non-seismic motions.

Anatomy of the Campi Flegrei caldera using Enhanced Seismic Tomography Models.

Abstract: Campi Flegrei caldera (Southern Italy) is a densely inhabited area and suffered several unrest episodes in the last centuries. The dynamic of the caldera is highly debated because of conflicting interpretations. Here we present a detailed reconstruction of the Campi Flegrei structure obtained using the microseismicity recorded during the 1984 unrest. Enhanced Seismic Tomography models obtained with these data allow us describing seismic velocities, attenuation, and scattering patterns. Results show: (1) a plumbing system with a diameter of 1 km located between 2.3 km and 4 km depth (2) a 0.5 km thick caprock located at 2 km depth interpreted as the main structure regulating the fluid interchange between deep and shallow sectors of the caldera, (3) the shape and volume of a shallow reservoir beneath the city of Pozzuoli; this reservoir played a key role during the 1982–1984 unrest, (4) several small reservoirs beneath the main craters of the caldera. All these features fit into the debated question on magmatic or hydrothermal mechanism driving the caldera deformation resulting of crucial importance to allow a better assessment of the hazard.

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS): A review

Abstract: Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that can be found in abundance on our planet. Only a small fraction of it is currently converted to electrical power, though in recent years installed geothermal capacity has increased considerably all over the world. This review focuses on Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), which represent a path for turning the enormous resources provided by geothermal energy into electricity for human consumption efficiently and on a large scale. The paper presents a general overview of this ever-expanding technology from its origins to the current state of the art. The Geodynamics plant in Habanero (Australia), which started up on 2 May 2013, is the first privately-run commercial EGS plant to produce electricity on a large scale. Thanks to the technological development of EGS in recent years, the future looks bright for such plants in the decades to come.

From Geodetic Imaging of Seismic and Aseismic Fault Slip to Dynamic Modeling of the Seismic Cycle

Abstract: Understanding the partitioning of seismic and aseismic fault slip is central to seismotectonics as it ultimately determines the seismic potential of faults. Thanks to advances in tectonic geodesy, it is now possible to develop kinematic models of the spatiotemporal evolution of slip over the seismic cycle and to determine the budget of seismic and aseismic slip. Studies of subduction zones and continental faults have shown that aseismic creep is common and sometimes prevalent within the seismogenic depth range. Interseismic coupling is generally observed to be spatially heterogeneous, defining locked patches of stress accumulation, to be released in future earthquakes or aseismic transients, surrounded by creeping areas. Clay-rich tectonites, high temperature, and elevated pore-fluid pressure seem to be key factors promoting aseismic creep. The generally logarithmic time evolution of afterslip is a distinctive feature of creeping faults that suggests a logarithmic dependency of fault friction on slip rate...