Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.6 Earthquake hits South Island, New Zealand.

5.3 Earthquake hits the Aukland Islands off New Zealand.

5.2 Earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Pacific-Antarctic ridge.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Izu Islands off Japan.

Fracking Led to Ohio Earthquakes

A hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, well in Ohio triggered scores of small earthquakes in March 2014, including one large enough to be felt in nearby towns, a new study confirms. The biggest quake, a magnitude 3, was one of the largest ever caused by fracking. State officials shut down the well two days after the earthquake hit.

Fracking involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand and chemicals into rock to break it up and release trapped oil and gas. In Ohio, fracking triggered earthquakes on a hidden fault in ancient crystalline rock beneath a natural gas well in the Utica Shale, according to the study, published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

No earthquakes were ever recorded in this region of Ohio before fracking started, and the shaking stopped after the well was shut down. Researchers identified 77 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1 to 3 that occurred from March 4 to 12.