Recent Intraplate Earthquakes in Northwest Germany: Glacial Isostatic Adjustment and/or a Consequence of Hydrocarbon Production?

Though northern Germany is regarded as a low-seismicity area, the region was affected by 77 earthquakes with magnitudes be-tween 0.5 and 4.3 ML within the time period of January, 1st 1993 to December, 31st 2016. The aim of this thesis is to analyze trigger mechanisms for the recent earthquakes in NW Germany in order to better differentiate between potential anthropogenic and natural tectonic drivers. Possible trigger mechanisms are stress changes related to either the extraction of natural gas and/or processes of the ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment.