A new USGS study reveals recent man-made earthquakes across the U.S.
by Hannah Moore
April 27, 2015—California is notorious for high earthquake susceptibility, but several other states are not far off from this description, either. A new USGS report shows that fracking-related human activity has triggered earthquakes across the central, eastern and southern U.S. recently.
Oklahoma is the worst-impacted state, having endured more than 500 earthquakes of 3.0 or greater magnitude in 2014, according to TIME magazine. Eight states including Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas have also seen an increase in quakes in the past year.
The USGS revealed a map of earthquakes that occurred near industrial activity areas, reported by the LA Times. The activity includes oil and gas extraction and wastewater disposal.
Officials are increasingly considering the idea that wastewater disposal following the extraction of oil and gas is causing these earthquakes. Fracking requires forcing water, sand and chemical mixture deep underground, at high pressure, to bring up oil and natural gas. The leftover water is disposed of underground and can trigger earthquake faults that have been dormant for a long time.
The rise of Oaklahoma earthquakes aligns with a recent increase in wastewater disposal in the state, indicating that the sudden quake increase is likely not a natural occurrence.
This isn’t the first time scienctific study has considered the role of industrial activity in encouraging seismic movement. A 1960s study documented that chemical wastewater triggered seismic activity in the Denver Basin.
Previous research suggests that fracking may cause some of these earthquakes, but according to USGS, wastewater disposal is a more common cause.
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