Oklahoma earthquakes today reached a total number of 11. Although the Oklahoma earthquakes today were relatively minor, the people of Oklahoma believe that the oil and gas drilling boom around the area contributed to the increase in seismic activity.
The oil and gas drilling boom that is located in the area is actually fueled by hydraulic fracturing, otherwise termed as fracking. It would seem that a lot of controversies currently surround this particular structure.
The US Geological Survey has recorded seven Oklahoma earthquakes today from the evening of Saturday to the morning of Sunday. The magnitudes were varied, ranging from 2.6 to 2.9. Based on their data, the epicenter of these Oklahoma earthquakes today were found to be in the northeastern portion of Oklahoma City.
Moreover, there was a recorded Oklahoma earthquakes today that hit Langston shortly after Saturday noon. This particular one was stronger than the others, as it had a magnitude of 4.3. Before this one hit, however, there were three succeeding Oklahoma earthquakes today that hit the region on the morning of Saturday, which had a magnitude range of 2.9 to 3.2
Based on the reports released by Tulsa World, there were no reports of any major damages or injuries. However, there have been new findings of scientific evidence that reflects an increase in seismic activity in the United States, particularly in regions, such as in Oklahoma, where there is a huge number of fracking structures amid the present domestic energy rise.
Although the scientists have not ruled out any potential natural causes, majority of them strongly believe that the presence and the operations of injection wells that are used for disposing hydraulic fracking wastewater largely contribute to the increase in the Oklahoma earthquakes today activity.
To get rid of oil or other forms of natural gas, fracking needs to blast massive volumes of highly pressurized water, sand, and other kinds of chemicals into layers of rock. Scientists who have recently attended the SSA or the Seismological Society of America last May, have said that the storage of the toxic drilling wastewater in deep wells below the surface of the Earth, in addition to the effects of fracking, is hugely changing the stress that already exists on the faults. This could mean that there is a high possibility of more frequent and even stronger Oklahoma earthquakes today in the near future.
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