Frick and Frack – Oklahoma Quakes

14 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by liveinharmony in Cogitations Tags: earthquakes, fracking, largest recorded earthquake

Interesting article on what might be behind (or underneath) the reason for Ok’s quake(s) in recent years.

Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com

Did Fracking Cause Oklahoma’s Largest Recorded Earthquake?

By Charles Q. Choi  | November 14, 2011 | 9

This quake is part of a skyrocketing rise in seismic activity the state has seen in the past three years, leading many to wonder—and worry—about its cause. Might the practice of fracking, a controversial method of drilling into rock for natural gas, be to blame?

The recent uptick in the area’s temblors has been dramatic. From 1972 to 2008 only two to six earthquakes were reported per year in Oklahoma, and were often too small for people to notice. However, in 2009 nearly 50 earthquakes were recorded

Now, with the discovery of natural gas deposits in other regions of the U.S., the extraction method is being used more widely and has raised concerns about its potential to contaminate drinking water.

Fracking has been linked to two minor earthquakes in northwest England, Read more at www.scientificamerican.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a1i1p8

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