Precursory groundwater level changes in the period of activation of the weak intraplate seismic activity on the ne margin of the bohemian massif (central Europe) in 2005

Abstract

We analyse continuous measurements of groundwater level in two deep wells VS-3 and V-28 at the experimental hydro-meteorological station situated on the NE margin of the Bohemian Massif, central Europe, characterized by the weak intraplate seismic activity. The aim of our study is to examine the relationships between changes in the groundwater level and earthquake occurrence. Based on the tidal and barometric response of the water level, we estimated selected elastic parameters of the observed aquifers: the shear modulus G, the Skempton ratio B, the drained matrix compressibility β and the undrained compressibility βu. Using these parameters and assuming the homogeneous poroelastic material, we derived the sensitivity of the wells to the crustal volume strain. During the observation period from November 1998 to December 2005 we detected in the VS-3 well two pre-seismic steps, related to August 10, 2005 (M = 2.4) and October 25, 2005 (M = 3.3) earthquakes. Amplitudes of the recorded precursory changes (+6 cm and +15 cm) are several times higher than the values predicted from the theoretical precursory crustal strain and the strain sensitivity of the well. Therefore, we presume that the observed pre-seismic water level steps can be attributed to heterogeneity of poroelastic material. We consequently propose the hypothesis of the origin of precursory events based on the presumption of a sensitive site, at which the well is situated.