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Earthquake Warning Issued For Central Oklahoma

Posted by Unknown on from the cthulhu-rises dept.

New submitter bobbied (2522392) writes "A rare warning has been issued by the US Geological survey today, warning of an increased risk of a damaging earthquake (magnitude 5.0 or greater) in central Oklahoma. There have been more earthquakes in Oklahoma (per mile) than California this year, prompting the USGS to issue their warning today (May 5, 2014).

This warning is the first such warning to be issued for a state east of the Rockies."

12 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Earthquakes competency by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Finding out when (ie soon) and where an earthquake will occur is still almost pure luck. Of course, when the frequency of EQ is high, the probability that a bigger one happens is higher. But that almost the best we can predict. After the Tohoku EQ in Japan in 2011, amazing predictions were made by "specialists": a "big one" to occur in Tokyo within a couple of days, the Fuji mt to erupt soon, etc... nothing happened. (the cumulative probabilities of a big one in Tokyo was more than 90% at the time!).

    --
    Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
  2. More Fracking' Earthquakes by Anna+Merikin · · Score: 4, Informative

    The joint statement indicates that a likely contributing factor to the increase in earthquakes is wastewater disposal by injection into deep geologic formations. The water injection can increase underground pressures, lubricate faults and cause earthquakes – a process known as injection-induced seismicity. Much of this wastewater is a byproduct of oil and gas production and is routinely disposed of by injection into wells specifically designed and approved for this purpose. The recent earthquake rate changes are not due to typical, random fluctuations in natural seismicity rates.

    'Nuff said.

    1. Re:More Fracking' Earthquakes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's no moon

    2. Re:More Fracking' Earthquakes by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, definitely the moon. Some of the calmest seas you'll see are during hurricane conditions when the ocean is protected from the moon's gravitational forces by thick cloud cover.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    3. Re:More Fracking' Earthquakes by beltsbear · · Score: 2

      Solar is a choice but as an add on, to reduce the others, not to replace any of them. Solar gives power when it is most needed during the day. It shaves off the peak demand predictably. When it is cloudy during peak AC time, solar produces less but the need for power is also less. Solar could easily be 10% of our power.

    4. Re: More Fracking' Earthquakes by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, this is why you never see meteorites on cloudy nights - there is no gravity to pull them into the earth's atmosphere.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  3. Re:So where do we bury it.... by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

    A basalt range means that the area has seen volcanoes. Basalt usually cracks into hexagonal prisms when it cools which in turn makes the ground "leaking".

    And volcanoes means potential earthquakes.

    --
    If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  4. Re:fraud opportunity! by night_flyer · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not if you specifically purchase "earthquake" insurance, Ive had that on my house(s) for the last 15 years, looking like I got a good deal now...

    --


    Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
    Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
  5. Re:fraud opportunity! by nblender · · Score: 2

    When I bought my house, my agent sold me on a 'seepage' rider... He said it was a good idea on a new house because you never know what leaks are going to happen. Sure enough, 10 years later we discovered the siding was installed incorrectly on one side of the house and water had been slowly seeping in to one section of wall... Called the insurance company, they sent an adjuster and immediately brought in a team to demolish that entire room in the basement and set up dehumidifiers... Awesome service I thought. After a couple weeks of dehmidification, I asked when they were expecting to start rebuilding... My insurance company said I wasn't covered for seepage. I pointed out that I had purchased seepage coverage. They said they'd get back to me. A week later, they got back to me. Still not covered. There's a proviso on the seepage coverage that says they don't cover "repeated seepage" and since the seepage had been ocurring every time it rained for the last 10 years, it counted as 'repeated'. So we were on the hook for the whole $15,000.

    In summary, you may buy coverage, but they will find some way to avoid coverage.

    Insurance: If they can afford to sell it to you, it's not a good deal.

  6. Re:Fracking!!! by koan · · Score: 2

    So pretty much fracking.

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
  7. Re:Fracking!!! by koan · · Score: 2

    http://www.mcclatchydc.com/201...

    http://www.motherjones.com/env...

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw...

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
  8. Re:Fracking!!! by Joe+U · · Score: 2

    Only a complete idiot ignores independent scientists.

    I actually live here, I think I know that oil companies pretty much owns the state government.