Earthquakes are not just a roar from mother nature anymore. Mineral exploration companies could be the reason that earthquakes are becoming more common in uncommon areas. When these companies are drilling for oil or gas they are putting the earths surface in jeopardy of experiencing “man-made” earthquakes. Experts explain that Oklahoma is paving the way in how to monitor and prevent these man-made incidents. As long as prices of oil and gas aren't on the rise, stabilizing earths surface should be easy.
Secondly, Would you believe that giant snakes, turtles, catfish, or spiders live underneath the ground, and it is their movements that create earthquakes? Maybe you wouldn't, but your ancestors did. Ancient peoples had many fanciful explanations for earthquakes, usually involving something large and restless living beneath the earth's surface.
In recorded history, there have been 151 earthquakes in Nevada that were a magnitude of 3.5 or higher. As previously mentioned, the mountain ranges of Nevada are typically bound on one side or the other by a fault. There are quaternary faults that range in ages from less than 150 years to around 1.8 million years in existence. The property damage in Nevada from earthquakes was .2 million dollars between 1196 and 2014 based on information from department of energy for the state. As we studied in our textbook, earthquakes can by a number of things, such as shifting faults, or volcanic
Of all the naturally occurring events on Earth, earthquakes are among the most devastating and bring a lot of truth to the statement, “Just because something is natural does not mean it is not dangerous.” Earthquakes are one of the most natural things I can think of that can cause massive damage and loss of human live in many instances, and the effects are sometimes long term. “Nothing happens without a force. Many geophysicists accept the theory that continents move as a result of the forces generated by mantel convection deep within Earth – motions driven by our planet’s internal heat energy” (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). According to National Geographic (1996-2012), constant movement in the tectonic plates that make up the Earth’s
The earthquake that rocked Kobe, Japan in 1995 veered Japanese culture into another direction in regard to mental healthcare. Remembered as the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck # regions and claimed the lives of 6,400 (Baba et al.,1996). At least 55,000 people were placed in shelters, and among them included mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled (Baba et al.,1996). The demographics mentioned are specified because of research suggesting each group had pre-existing conditions or heightened stress that became exacerbated due to disaster-related trauma. As emotional suffering became so vast, many in positions of power could not overlook the emotional devastation caused by the disaster. However, they continued
The area was considered seismically stagnant. That all changed when oil and gas companies began drilling for natural gas. Even though some scientists believe hydraulic fracking is not the offender of the sudden earthquake breakout, studies are performed and reviewed to determine the cause. Since the sudden earthquake breakout a team of scientist, led by Southern Methodist University (SMU) seismologist, Heather DeShon and Brian Stump, have been studying the earthquakes in North Texas. Studies are finding that the earthquakes in North Texas are not caused by hydraulic fracturing, but yet the method to dispose of the wastewater. The combination of wastewater injection and saltwater extraction from natural gas wells is presumably the cause (DeShon, et al., 2015). A recent model study of earthquakes in Azle, Texas by the SMU team predicted that substantial pressure changes on faults that are already strained could activate the faults and initiate an earthquake. Cliff Frohlich, a seismologist at the University of Texas at Austin is confident the method of how wastewater from fracking is disposed is the perpetrator of the earthquakes. The waste is pumped into underground disposal well and if that well is near a fault which is under stress the liquid from the well can loosen the fault causing an earthquake (Detorres,
Over more than 50 decades there has been multiple earthquakes that have been caused by the activity that takes place beneath and above the surface of the earth. For every earthquake there are various effects and consequences, these are generally not preventable but teachable moments. As we study and explore landforms we learn and better understand how today 's structures came about, what took place decades ago and where do we go from here. Thanks to the technology and inquiring minds we are able to study past events like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the 1964 Alaska earthquake. In comparing these two events we can get an overview of what happened and better prepare ourselves for something like that in the future.
Earthquakes in North Texas have been popular in the past couple of years. Texas has never been a state to host earthquakes like the ones being experienced. There has been many theories from locals about the causes of minor earthquakes. What are their theories about the increasing in earthquakes in North Texas? One, is the Hydraulic “fracking”, the drilling that effects the underground soil to crack. It only gives airways for gas or oil to work its way up to the surface. The theory of hydraulic fracturing does not add up for some but that the wastewater disposals theory is a better conclusion. Wastewater disposals or water injections are related to “fracking” institutions. Wastewater disposals are water tunnels filled from underground that can
Some scientists are beginning to see a link between fracking and earthquakes, as evidence mounts for the role of fracking in water contamination as well as the negative health effects associated with living near a fracking well.
2). Standard homeowner policies in Oklahoma don’t usually cover the damages done by earthquakes; however, since 2011 an agent for Farmer’s Insurance stated that their earthquake insurance has risen by 39% now insuring 40% of all their homes (Earthquake, par. 3) That year the largest Oklahoma earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 5.6 crumpled 14 homes and wounded two victims. Even though the oil industry continues to claim these earthquakes are not an effect of fracking, seismologist Ameberlee Darold with the Oklahoma Geological Survey is quoted, “it's no longer a matter of debate that hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells, or ‘fracking,’ causes earthquakes. It's known that fracking can cause earthquakes and has caused earthquakes” (Earthquakes, par. 5). Homeowners in Oklahoma now have more costs to wrestle with due to the earthquakes caused by the
According to our textbook, it appears that an earthquake poses a greater threat to the Pacific Northwest than a volcano does. The text states that “California’s San Andreas Fault runs diagonally from southeast to northwest for nearly 800 miles.” In the lecture notes, it shows a diagram of the earthquakes that have occurred since 1977 along the Pacific coast, and the area is riddled with earthquakes. The likelihood of a massive scale earthquake occurring in the Pacific Northwest has been predicted; however, our lecture states that we are unable to predict an earthquake and are only able to gauge the probability of one occurring. Those who would be in harm’s way would be those people who fall within the Mercalli Intensity scale area, and those
With earthquakes on the rise, we must figure out the cause of them and determine a solution to help limit or even prevent them from occurring. Since early 2009, earthquakes have been sweeping across the state of Oklahoma, causing many people to worry about their own well-being. Many scientists speculate the source of the earthquakes might be a result of Hydraulic Fracturing deep down in Earths’ crust. Hydraulic fracturing is a process in which oil and natural gas companies pump up to millions of gallons of wastewater, sand, and chemicals down drilled holes in order to release pockets of shale within the earth. This use of technology is in question of the potential cause or inducement of earthquakes in
Earthquakes are an issue brought up a lot, which statistics show that they’re has been an increase of them now. According to The 2014 Annual Reviews of Environment and Resources, “ Between 1967 and 2000, geologists observed a steady background rate of 21 earthquakes of 3.0Mw greater in Central United States per year (Wihbeg).” Over the years it has been increasing and one place in specific is Dallas, Texas. In 2015 a U.S geological survey showed how at the beginning of the year the Dallas area had experienced about 40 small earthquakes. That wasn’t common here in this area until and many believe its because of the oil being fracked.
Last night a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the greater salt lake area causing severe damage to a number of vital areas in the valley. Experts have pointed to the I-80 and 1300 East as the epicenter of this quake. There is severe damage to buildings in this immediate area as many building here were built with un-reinforced brick. Many of the roads including the I-80 are inaccessible making travel in the area very difficult to navigate. Another tragedy in this event is the damage to the area around many of the hospitals in the north east part of the valley. While the hospitals themselves did not suffer as much damage the roads leading up to them did not fare as well. If we look further to the west at the airport, there is considerable damage
Oklahoma has been on the spotlight for the last few years owing to the increase in earthquakes. Particularly, 2014 served a wake-up call for stakeholders such as government, researchers and oil and gas industry members as a result of a sharp rise in earthquakes reported in the area. The year saw Oklahoma receiving more earthquakes than compared to California, a region that is more culpable to the earthquakes scene. In adition, 2014 also marked the largest earthquake reported in the history of the region, reporting a massive 5.6 magnitude. With these developments, continous research has been conducted and the review of peer and academic journals written by past reseaerchers and academic institutions collected to add on the data required to unearth the cause of the frequency of registered earthquakes as well as the underlying factors that contribute to seismic activity.
Most of the worst earthquakes are associated with changes in the shape of the Earth's outermost shell, particularly the crust. These so called tectonic earthquakes are generated by the rapid release of strain energy that is stored within the rocks of the crust, which on continents is about 22 miles thick. A small proportion of earthquakes are associated with human activity. Dynamite or atomic explosions, for example, can sometimes cause mild quakes. The injection of liquid wastes deep into the Earth and the pressures