Oklahoma earthquakes: USGS continues to look at increase
Posted by Alec Cope | Dec 27, 2014 |
By Jessica Miller
Enid News
There have been more than 500 magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes in Oklahoma this year, up significantly from 109 in 2013 and just 35 in 2012, according to U.S. Geological Survey officials.
As of Monday, there were 549 of the higher magnitude quakes in 2014, with 19 being magnitude 4.0 or greater.
USGS officials focused on magnitude 3.0 or greater quakes because the smaller the magnitude, the more potential there is for missing an event, USGS Geophysicist Robert Williams said.
The USGS is looking into the increase in earthquakes, mostly occurring in central and north-central Oklahoma, he said.
"Starting probably in 2009, we started to notice the jump in earthquakes, even though it was small back then, relative to 2014," Williams said.
A new scientific group focused on studying induced seismicity has been formed. There probably are six to 10 researchers working on the issue, with about four or five working full time now, according to Williams.
"This group, along with others from academia, have published a number of papers — eight or so papers in the last couple of years in peer review journals — that point toward water in disposal wells injected deep under ground as contributing to the cause of earthquakes in Oklahoma."
A USGS statement released in May, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Geological Survey, indicated the likelihood of injection wells contributing to the seismicity and noted a higher chance of earthquakes, Williams said.
"Because, the more small earthquakes you have generally leads to the occurrence of more large earthquakes," he said. "So the possibility of a damaging earthquake is higher in the last couple years."
Alec Cope
After years of research and a series of unpleasant experiences concerning the current child protection services system, Alec Cope decided to combat the cancerous corruption through information. Freelance writing articles as a form of protest and distributing them throughout his former high-school and local area, Alec struck special chords with whomever he was in contact with. Alec has been involved in activism such as sit down protests as well as Idle No More gatherings. Being independent for the majority of his time, Alec became a member of the WeAreChange family to assist one of the organizations that inspired him to become active in the first place. With a larger platform and positive support Alec has committed the majority of his time to research, writing, and maintaining social media with the goal to continue expanding the awakening sweeping throughout all levels of society. Growing up within a rural area in Northern Michigan as well as being a native American descendant, Alec is seeking to expose environmental abuse in his state as well as globally. A high-school dropout, Alec chases his passion for writing and empowering individuals while showing any isolated person that they too can overcome the odds with a community that will support them. Alec lives in the lower peninsula of Michigan near Kalamazoo. https://www.facebook.com/alec.cope.75 alecope8@gmail.com https://www.twitter.com/AlecCope http://www.pinterest.com/aleccope75/