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posted by cmn32480 on Tuesday November 08 2016, @10:17PM   Printer-friendly
from the shake-rattle-and-roll dept.

An earthquake of 5.0 magnitude occurred on Sunday, 6 November near the Oklahoma town of Cushing. "[T]he largest crude oil storage facility in the world" lies near the town; a U.S. Geological Survey report published in 2015 had warned of the potential for damaging earthquakes near Cushing. Oklahoma and Kansas have been experiencing numerous earthquakes, mostly minor, since 2009. Figures from ABC News show an increasing frequency of earthquakes:

The USGS recorded 1,010 earthquakes of a magnitude 3.0 or greater in the region last year, nearly three times as many as the 318 temblors of this magnitude in 2009. Oklahoma alone felt 619 quakes of a magnitude 2.8 or larger from January through June of this year.

The strongest recorded in Oklahoma, of magnitude 5.8, happened on 3 September. Underground disposal of waste water from the oil and gas industry is believed to be a cause of the seismicity; there is also speculation that hydrofracturing is a factor.

There were minor injuries and several buildings were damaged; no damage to the area's pipelines has been reported. Schools in the area are to be closed Monday, so they may be checked for damage.

coverage:


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  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:16PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:16PM (#424285)

    The geologists have been, for years, saying "Hey, you can't just dump waste underground without there being problems. Keep up that hydraulic fracturing, and you'll cause earthquakes." And the companies and the politicians that work for them have responded with "Quit worrying, we'll be fine." and done exactly what they'd planned on doing anyways. And lo and behold, there earthquakes, exactly as the geologists predicted.

    Not that I expect that to change anything, other than to give the geeks a brief moment of "I told you so!".

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:27PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:27PM (#424288)

    Pre-fracking there were no earthquakes in that area... right? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @11:43PM (#424290)

      Rocket theoreticians are never believed until the shit mixes with the O2 line.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Wednesday November 09 2016, @06:55AM

      by aristarchus (2645) on Wednesday November 09 2016, @06:55AM (#424372) Journal

      Hmmm, Climate change denial, Fracking earthquakes denial; what do these two things have in common?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 09 2016, @02:48AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 09 2016, @02:48AM (#424327)

    Yeah, it is interesting seeing when topics pop up for the first time, you usually see more of the raw truth. Then the spin machines start working and months -> years later no one knows what to think for sure.