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Arkansas Earthquakes Could Be Man-Made

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the boom-shocka-locka dept.

oxide7 writes "The small earthquakes that struck north central Arkansas could be from a combination of natural and man-made activity. Some experts think that pumping water into the ground as part of the extraction process of natural gas could cause local seismic events."

6 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. Wow... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The theory that fracturing the local geology by pumping in a lubricant under extremely high pressure might cause some sub-surface movement certainly sounds preposterous to me...

    1. Re:Wow... by jbengt · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Typical low information content article.

      TFS quotes "Some experts think that pumping water into the ground as part of the extraction process of natural gas could cause local seismic events." but leaves out the next sentence from TFA "But the area hasn't been studied enough, they say, to know for sure."

      Then, TFA gets it wrong by claiming "The scale is logarithmic, meaning a magnitude 5 earthquake is 10 times as powerful as a magnitude 4" when in reality the amplitude of a magnitude 5 earthquake is 10 times larger than a magnitude 4, and the energy released is roughly proportional to the amplitude raised to the 3/2 power, so a magnitude 5 earthquake will cause more than 31 times the destruction than a magnitude 4 earthquake, 9depending a little on how long each lasts), The earthquakes observed were not out of line with past experience in the area and were too small to be of concern by themselves.

      Pumping high pressure water into active fault lines might not be such a good idea, but you are unlikely to find gas or oil in a fault, since the cracks in the rocks give a path for the fluids to escape and rise.

      It's an important enough concern to pay attention to and study, but maginitude 3 and 4 earthquakes should not cause panic, they happen tens of thousands of times per year all over the world and don't cause significant damage.

  2. Re:That's OK. by JonnyDomestik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Right. I mean, it's only Arkansas...

  3. Re:That's OK. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Magnitude 4 seismic events are of relatively little concern, in the scheme of things; but the water pollution that has resulted is more serious.

    There is a more serious governance/philosophical issue at work, though. These sorts of energy extraction operations, whether they be hydrofracking gas, doing the assorted horrid things required to get tar sands and oil shales flowing, or mountaintop removal, all involve the extraction company imposing (often quite significant, sometimes fatal) externalities on the people in a broad swath around them. Generally, these externalities are not compensated. That's how pollution goes.

    When a price needs to be paid, two things matter: "How big is it?" and "How will it be allocated?". At present, while the jury may still be out on the size of the bill, the method of allocation appears, at first approximation, to be "Suck it, peasants, costs will be imposed as is most profitable for your betters!".

    Such a cost allocation scheme really ought to have no friends anywhere on the political spectrum. The reasons for liberal opposition should be so obvious as to no need mention. For conservatives or libertarians, such rampant imposition of externalities on other people's persons and properties should be recognized as making a mockery of man's right to person and property, and the state's legitimate role in preserving the same.

    We must be careful that, in attempting to break our dependence on kleptocratic energy-despotic hellholes, we do not allow ourselves to become one...

  4. Quakes aren't new in AR... by goofyspouse · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I didn't bother reading the article, so please tell me these people are well aware that Arkansas has been home to some of the largest seismic events in North America. It isn't a very active fault, but it has produced some whoppers over the centuries.

  5. Re:That's OK. by Hangmn · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If earthquakes and environmental damage are a small price, then what would be a big price?

    Dependency on countries and regimes openly declaring the US as an enemy..everytime you fuel your car ..you are funding terrorism. Thats the BIG PRICE