More quakes rattle Oklahoma but state avoids tough measures

[g5000]

A new U.S. Geological Survey and Oklahoma Geological Survey analysis found that 145 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater occurred in Oklahoma from January 2014 (through May 2; see accompanying graphic). The previous annual record, set in 2013, was 109 earthquakes, while the long-term average earthquake rate, from 1978 to 2008, was just two magnitude 3.0 or larger earthquakes per year.

USGS statistically analyzed the recent earthquake rate changes and found that they do not seem to be due to typical, random fluctuations in natural seismicity rates. Significant changes in both the background rate of events and earthquake triggers needed to have occurred in order to explain the increases in seismicity, which is not typically observed when modeling natural earthquakes.

The analysis suggests that a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is triggering by wastewater injected into deep geologic formations. This phenomenon is known as injection-induced seismicity, which has been documented for nearly half a century, with new cases identified recently in Arkansas, Ohio, Texas and Colorado.

Record Number of Oklahoma Tremors Raises Possibility of Damaging Earthquakes

 

[g5000]

In this link, you can play a year by year graphic of Oklahoma earthquakes: Oklahoma Earthquakes

 

[Timmy]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —In Oklahoma, now the country's earthquake capital, people are talking nervously about the big one as man-made quakes get stronger, more frequent and closer to major population centers. Next door in Kansas, they're feeling on firmer ground though no one is ready yet to declare victory.

A year ago, the states had a common problem - earthquakes caused by the disposal of wastewater from oil and gas exploration. They chose different solutions. Kansas, following early scientific studies, decided to restrict how much and how fast the wastewater could be pumped back underground. Oklahoma instead initially concentrated on the depth of the wastewater injections.

Developments since then haven't been reassuring in Oklahoma, where a quake knocked out power in parts of an Oklahoma City suburb several weeks ago and where fears are growing that the worst is yet to come. On Friday, about 200 unhappy residents packed a forum at the state capitol convened by critics of the state's response. A governor's task force is studying the problem but officials have so far avoided taking tougher measures.

The quakes, which have been mostly small to medium sized, have caused limited damage, and no one foresees anything like the massive damage and deaths in the famous quakes in California, seismologists say.

.....The past few weeks have been especially nerve-wracking.

Eighty-eight quakes of 2.7 or stronger occurred this January as of Monday at noon central time, more than in all of 2012. The recent quakes have generally been more powerful, too, with eight of magnitude 4 or higher.

"What concerns me is what is happening to our homes through all these earthquakes," said Mary Beth McFadden of Fairview, a town about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City that has had six quakes of magnitude 4 since the start of the year. "It's your home being put in that position that you have no control over."

Last week, the state told companies to reduce wastewater injections at 27 nearby disposal wells.

A lot of people say we just need the earth to stop shaking, and I understand that, but the fact of the matter is that without the ability to dispose of wastewater, we cannot produce oil and gas in the state of Oklahoma, and this is our lifeblood," said Kim Hatfield, president of Oklahoma City-based Crawley Petroleum and a member of Gov. Mary Fallin's task force studying the earthquake problem.
More quakes rattle Oklahoma but state avoids tough measures

Mayhap, Ms. Hatfield can pay for the houses?

LOL @ Fracking causes earthquakes

It's one of the funniest things ever

So your saying it's just a coincidence that tracking and a giant explosion in earthquakes are happening at the same time?!?

 

[baileyn45]

The idea that waste water injection can contribute to earthquakes is not out of the question. The jury is still out but from the USGS:
The analysis suggests that a contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes triggers may be from activities such as wastewater disposal--a phenomenon known as injection-induced seismicity. The OGS has examined the behavior of the seismicity through the state assessing the optimal fault orientations and stresses within the region of increased seismicity, particularly the unique behavior of the Jones swarm just east of Oklahoma City. The USGS and OGS are now focusing on determining whether evidence exists for such triggering, which is widely viewed as being demonstrated in recent years in Arkansas, Ohio and Colorado.

]USGS Release: Earthquake Swarm Continues in Central Oklahoma (10/22/2013 1:07:59 PM)

 

[g5000]

Another map of OK earthquakes, 3.0 and larger. The bigger the circle, the bigger the quake. Color coded by year:

And?

And you tried to deny what is happening.

I can't deny something that hasn't been proven.

I just proved the number of earthquakes has spiked in recent years.

So go ahead and keep denying, willfully blind monkey.

so you have, you have made no link to fracking b/c there isn't one.

just moronic wishing, and hoping.

Says the idiot who is so clueless he thought fracking involved ass-plosions.

I have now provided expert evidence there may be a link between the two.

Versus a dumbshit's uninformed opinion.

The evidence showing possible linkage should not be dismissed out of hand just because it conflicts with your hack partisanship.

 

[Harry Dresden]

2.7 can't be felt.

the whole earthquack fearmonger story falls flat as soon as the facts are brought out.

it can if you are near the epicenter........

 

[Disir]

The state of Oklahoma knows.

Earthquakes in Oklahoma

As does everyone else:
Big Oil Pressured Scientists Over Fracking Wastewater's Link to Quakes