Temperature-induced disturbances of the stress-strain equilibrium and their effects on seismic velocities

Subsurface temperature measurements are key to optimizing geothermal power plants and monitoring heat-storage systems. Previous studies showed that time-lapse variations in temperature can be correlated to variations in seismic velocity. Therefore, temperature monitoring through seismic velocity changes should be feasible. In this study, we provide a physical background for the correlation between temperature and seismic velocity changes. We model how temperature changes can disturb the equilibrium between stress and strain, and for specific boundary conditions, we can make a connection to changes in seismic velocity. Ultimately, we can construct a physics-based model of seismic velocity changes due to temperature variations.