Oklahoma's Earthquakes Linked To Fracking

An anonymous reader writes Oklahoma has already experienced about 240 minor earthquakes this year, roughly double the rate at which California has had them. A recent study (abstract) has now tied those earthquakes to fracking. From the article: "Fracking itself doesn't seem to be causing many earthquakes at all. However, after the well is fracked, all that wastewater needs to be pumped back out and disposed of somewhere. Since it's often laced with chemicals and difficult to treat, companies will often pump the wastewater back underground into separate disposal wells. Wastewater injection comes with a catch, however: The process both pushes the crust in the region downward and increases pressure in cracks along the faults. That makes the faults more prone to slippages and earthquakes. ... More specifically, the researchers concluded that 89 wells were likely responsible for most of the seismic activity. And just four wells located southeast of Oklahoma City were likely responsible for about one-fifth of seismic activity in the state between 2008 and 2013."

Comments

Tunnels USA

[Anonymous Coward]

There are huge tunnels under the United States and other countries being constructed by governments. Shoring up the earth use HAARP technology to set off unstable areas increases stability and then tunneling through the area afterwards is a standard practice. These tunnels extend from sea to shining sea with great bunker complexes in between.

Re:Tunnels USA

[Anonymous Coward]

Trying to diffuse the monumentality of the truth by making this comment of governmental transcontinental tunnels appear to be a joke won't lessen the truth that you are either ignorant of or perhaps being paid to dissuade the populations of what is really going on. It really depends on who writes your paychecks. Maybe you are part of a UN agenda. Maybe, you are one of the team Maybe you are trying to get a free pass. It still doesn't change the facts, Jack. These tunnels do exist.

Maybe, your eyes are rolling around inside their sockets, and you have a crazed look on your face.. And, just maybe, you are now staring blankly into space in disbelief and your pupils are an inch wide and you are sweating profusely. AND, quite possibly, your face is beet red with a holier than thou anger, your fists are clenched and behind grinding teeth, you are murmering death threats under your breath. Maybe you have been promoted several times for being one cool cookie and have already ordered countless suicides, being, of course, an extremely capable person of few words with a bottomless budget.. Who are you kidding?

In the remote case you verifiably and unequivocally do just find it genuinely funny,,, nevermind..

Just wait..

[Anonymous Coward]

One of these days, Fracking is going to cause an earthquake so large that it is going to cause Oklahoma to separate from the continental united states and drift off to sea.

Re:Okay, so this has what to do with fracking then

[kick6]

buildings on the east coast are not built with earthquakes in mind like west coast ones

TIL: Oklahoma City is on the east coast.

Re:Earthquakes are deep, oil wells are not.

[MightyMartian]

Oil company employee finds no problem with oil extraction. News at 11.