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The study, published Tuesday in Seismological Research Letters, reports that fracking waste injection wells are now the leading cause of earthquakes in Texas. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves thrusting chemicals and water against shale rock to break it up and release oil or gas. The process produces large amounts of waste fluid, or brine, that is either recycled or disposed of in injection wells.
Earthquakes are caused due to the deformation of the Earth's crust which occurs die to the movement of the lithospheric tectonic plates. Where these plates collide with each oâ¦ther or slide past each other (at convergent and transform boundaries), stress builds up within the crust.