An oil field in Oklahoma. (Photo: katsrcool/flickr)
Mar 27, 2013
The 5.7 magnitude earthquake that jolted Oklahoma in 2011 has been linked to human-caused activity--oil wastewater injection.
Scientists describe the connection in a study published Tuesday in the journal Geology.
"There appears to be a strong correlation between the wells that are injecting wastewater in Lincoln County and the earthquakes in 2011," Katie Keranen, study co-author and University of Oklahoma seismologist, told The Oklahoman.
The study also found that the seismic activity could last years after the original wastewater injection.
"After decades instead of months of pumping, we think there's strong geological evidence to support that this is a different type of induced earthquake," Keranen added. "The pressure built up over time rather than rapidly."
Reporting on the study, BBC adds:
[...] the authors of the new study focus on the significantly larger and delayed events in Prague [Oklahoma], which they wrote "necessitate reconsideration of the maximum possible size of injection-induced earthquakes, and of the time scale considered diagnostic of induced seismicity".
Study co-author Geoffrey Abers of Columbia University said that "there's something important about getting unexpectedly large earthquakes out of small systems that we have discovered here," adding that "the risk of humans inducing large earthquakes from even small injection activities is probably higher" than had been believed.
Some media reports on the new study include reaction from the Oklahoma Geological Survey, who said the 2011 quake was due to natural causes, but The Oklahoman's Adam Wilmoth notes this:
The journal Geology is published by the Geological Society of America, which has called for public policy changes aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses that many scientists believe contribute to climate change. The Oklahoma Geological Survey, on its website, said its most important objective is "to maximize the ultimate recovery of the energy resources that Nature so generously has bestowed upon us."
The new study's finding follows similar conclusions from a study last year by the U.S. Geological Survey that found the spike in earthquakes since 2001 near oil and gas extraction operations is "almost certainly man-made."
Local news station KJRH has video:
____________________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The 5.7 magnitude earthquake that jolted Oklahoma in 2011 has been linked to human-caused activity--oil wastewater injection.
Scientists describe the connection in a study published Tuesday in the journal Geology.
"There appears to be a strong correlation between the wells that are injecting wastewater in Lincoln County and the earthquakes in 2011," Katie Keranen, study co-author and University of Oklahoma seismologist, told The Oklahoman.
The study also found that the seismic activity could last years after the original wastewater injection.
"After decades instead of months of pumping, we think there's strong geological evidence to support that this is a different type of induced earthquake," Keranen added. "The pressure built up over time rather than rapidly."
Reporting on the study, BBC adds:
[...] the authors of the new study focus on the significantly larger and delayed events in Prague [Oklahoma], which they wrote "necessitate reconsideration of the maximum possible size of injection-induced earthquakes, and of the time scale considered diagnostic of induced seismicity".
Study co-author Geoffrey Abers of Columbia University said that "there's something important about getting unexpectedly large earthquakes out of small systems that we have discovered here," adding that "the risk of humans inducing large earthquakes from even small injection activities is probably higher" than had been believed.
Some media reports on the new study include reaction from the Oklahoma Geological Survey, who said the 2011 quake was due to natural causes, but The Oklahoman's Adam Wilmoth notes this:
The journal Geology is published by the Geological Society of America, which has called for public policy changes aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses that many scientists believe contribute to climate change. The Oklahoma Geological Survey, on its website, said its most important objective is "to maximize the ultimate recovery of the energy resources that Nature so generously has bestowed upon us."
The new study's finding follows similar conclusions from a study last year by the U.S. Geological Survey that found the spike in earthquakes since 2001 near oil and gas extraction operations is "almost certainly man-made."
Local news station KJRH has video:
____________________________
The 5.7 magnitude earthquake that jolted Oklahoma in 2011 has been linked to human-caused activity--oil wastewater injection.
Scientists describe the connection in a study published Tuesday in the journal Geology.
"There appears to be a strong correlation between the wells that are injecting wastewater in Lincoln County and the earthquakes in 2011," Katie Keranen, study co-author and University of Oklahoma seismologist, told The Oklahoman.
The study also found that the seismic activity could last years after the original wastewater injection.
"After decades instead of months of pumping, we think there's strong geological evidence to support that this is a different type of induced earthquake," Keranen added. "The pressure built up over time rather than rapidly."
Reporting on the study, BBC adds:
[...] the authors of the new study focus on the significantly larger and delayed events in Prague [Oklahoma], which they wrote "necessitate reconsideration of the maximum possible size of injection-induced earthquakes, and of the time scale considered diagnostic of induced seismicity".
Study co-author Geoffrey Abers of Columbia University said that "there's something important about getting unexpectedly large earthquakes out of small systems that we have discovered here," adding that "the risk of humans inducing large earthquakes from even small injection activities is probably higher" than had been believed.
Some media reports on the new study include reaction from the Oklahoma Geological Survey, who said the 2011 quake was due to natural causes, but The Oklahoman's Adam Wilmoth notes this:
The journal Geology is published by the Geological Society of America, which has called for public policy changes aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses that many scientists believe contribute to climate change. The Oklahoma Geological Survey, on its website, said its most important objective is "to maximize the ultimate recovery of the energy resources that Nature so generously has bestowed upon us."
The new study's finding follows similar conclusions from a study last year by the U.S. Geological Survey that found the spike in earthquakes since 2001 near oil and gas extraction operations is "almost certainly man-made."
Local news station KJRH has video:
____________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.