Saturday, April 4, 2015

Oklahoma Earthquakes: The Hits Just Keep on Coming


As Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Fingers Point to Oil and Gas Industry. (The New York Times, 4/3/2015)

From 29 earthquakes in 2000 to 5417 in 2014.
The mechanics of wastewater-induced earthquakes are straightforward: Soaked with enough fluid, a layer of rock expands and gets heavier. Earthquakes can occur when the pressure from the fluid reaches a fault, either through direct contact with the soaked rock or indirectly, from the expanding rock. Seismologists have documented such quakes in Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas and elsewhere since the 1960s. 

Reported yesterday.

 

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