Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

5.4 Earthquake hit the north Pacific Ocean.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Solomon Islands.

5.0 Earthquake hits Tonga.

Pressure From Fracking Found to Cause Oklahoma Quakes

A new Cornell University study found that the dramatic increase in central Oklahoma earthquakes since 2009 is likely due to wastewater injection, or fracking, below the surface at just a few wells.

Lead researcher Katie Keranen says that it would be possible to expand shale gas and other hydrocarbon extraction without triggering so many tremors if the industry adhered to a uniform set of standards.

“The best practices include avoiding wastewater disposal near major faults and the use of appropriate monitoring and mitigation strategies,” said Keranen.

She added that earthquakes can be triggered up to almost 20 miles from where injection wells operate.

That’s far beyond the approximately 3-mile distance that was previously estimated.

The study found that as the increased subsurface pressure from the wells expands, it increases the probability that it will encounter a larger fault and trigger stronger quakes.

Fracking from only four of the highest-volume injection wells in Oklahoma are believed to have caused 20 percent of all recent central U.S. quakes.