by Robert Wilkinson
It turns out fracking, which shoots millions of gallons of water and chemicals underground to break up shale in order to find oil and gas, produces earthquakes. Lots of them.
Though most of these earthquakes are under 3.6, we read they are related to larger quakes which result from the “injection of wastewater into underground wells, a technique used to dispose of the briny, polluted water that comes to the surface after a frack job is completed and a well is producing natural gas and oil.”
Courtesy of the NBC story by John Roach, “Fracking and energy exploration connected to earthquakes, say studies,” we read:
The rivers of water pumped into and out of the ground during the production of natural gas, oil and geothermal energy are causing the Earth to shake more frequently in areas where these industrial activities are soaring, according to a series of studies published today....Within the central and Eastern United States, more than 300 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater were recorded from 2010 through 2012, compared to an average rate of 21 earthquakes per year from 1967 to 2000....
The experts are also weighing in that in Southern California, geothermal power plant operations are also causing tremors, usually very small, but with some possibility of triggering “the big one” if it compromises the San Andreas Fault. And it sure seems that no one really knows what’s going on or just how bad things could be, and that’s why there are so many opinions being stated.
More from the article:
Scientists have known for several decades that human activity can cause the ground to shake, but the rise in earthquake frequency paralleling the rise in production of oil and gas from shale rock formations has made the issue a hot topic, Ellsworth noted.For one, scientists don't know how big — and thus deadly — these induced earthquakes can be. "We know a lot about the process that starts an earthquake — both natural and man-made ones — but what is really difficult for us to understand at this point is how far they will run once they get started," he said.
Most induced earthquakes, like natural ones, are tiny, Ellsworth said. But a few have been large enough to feel and caused minor damage, including a magnitude 5.7 event near Prague, Okla., on Nov. 6, 2011, that destroyed 14 homes and injured two people. Another study, published in Science, linked it to an injection well used to dispose wastewater from oil operations.
There’s more in the story, including graphs and maps and all kinds of other things that illustrate just how weird it’s getting out there. Please check it out via the link I posted earlier.
© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson
ps - Just found this great Truthout article: Former Mobil VP Warns of Fracking and Climate Change. This is an interview with one of the true insiders who has become alarmed at what's been coming down with fracking the past few years, and how it's seriously messing up our Earth. Please check it out if you're interested in knowing more about this abominable practice in pursuit of oil.
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