Increase in Oklahoma seismic activity puzzles scientists

I happened to be online last night, as were many people from Oklahoma, and I must say, it was a different experience to see everyone's reaction at once. It seems as researchers are not quite sure whats going on with this are in relation to seismic activity. However, we all know that the earth is very active and that an earthquake can occur at any given time, and at any given place.
news.yahoo.com...

Here are a few quotes from the story:

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake and its aftershocks still had residents rattled Sunday. No injuries were reported, and aside from a buckled highway and the collapse of a tower on the St. Gregory's University administration building, neither was any major damage. But the weekend earthquakes were among the strongest yet in a state that has seen a dramatic, unexplained increase in seismic activity. Oklahoma typically had about 50 earthquakes a year until 2009. Then the number spiked, and 1,047 quakes shook the state last year, prompting researchers to install seismographs in the area. Still, most of the earthquakes have been small.

Scientists say they have no explanation for the quakes. They happened along an ancient fault, although it's not clear yet whether shifting along the fault is what caused them, Earle said. One reason earthquakes are hard to predict in Oklahoma is that the state sits over a series of smaller ancient faults, rather than a major fault, such as California's San Andreas Fault, he said. Arkansas also has seen a big increase in earthquake activity, which residents have blamed on injection wells. Natural gas companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, use fluid to break apart shale and rock to release natural gas. Injection wells then dispose of the fluid by injecting it back into the ground.

There are 181 injection wells in the Oklahoma county where most of the weekend earthquakes happened, said Matt Skinner, spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees oil and gas production in the state and intrastate transportation pipelines. But natural gas companies claim there is no proof of a connection between injection wells and earthquakes, and a study released earlier this year by an Oklahoma Geological Survey seismologist seems to back that up. It found most of the state's seismic activity didn't appear to be tied to the wells, although more investigation was needed. The state survey didn't respond to phone messages left Sunday. Earle said he couldn't comment on the relationship between fracking, injection wells and earthquakes.

Geologists now believe a magnitude 4.7 earthquake Saturday morning was a foreshock to the bigger one that followed that night. They recorded 10 aftershocks by midmorning Sunday and expected more. Two of the aftershocks, at 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., were big, magnitude 4.0. "We will definitely continue to see aftershocks, as we've already seen aftershocks from this one," said Paul Earle, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. "We will see aftershocks in the days and weeks to come, possibly even months."

Now, I don't know if fracking is what is causing these quakes or not, but I suppose its a possibility. Im not sure what the maximum depth requirement is for fracking, but it could very well be the cause, but if it is, then Im pretty sure the big oil companies will never admit or take responsibility for it. Also, for those that don't know what fracking is here is some information about it -

Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurized fluid. Hydraulic fractures may form naturally, as in the case of veins or dikes, or may be man-made in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas, or other substances for extraction, where the technique is often called fracking[a] or hydrofracing.[1] This type of fracturing, known colloquially as a frack job (or frac job),[2][3] is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The energy from the injection of a highly pressurized fluid, such as water, creates new channels in the rock which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped. The practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny internationally due to concerns about environmental and health safety, and has been suspended or banned in some countries

source- en.wikipedia.org...

I have one last think I would like to ask. Has anyone else had a feeling of veritigo or sea sea sickness prior to or during these quakes, even if you live hundreds of miles away? I felt that twice during earthquakes that happenend in other states.

reply to post by Veritas1


I live a bit north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. No vertigo or sickness but we had a brief tremor last night. It took me completely by surprise (scared the hell out of me) as I was surfing the net. It's a curious sensation--like the world trying to buck you off

We've come to expect the threat of tornadoes in this area but mother nature seems to always have something up her sleeve.

Fracking could be a cause.

www.care2.com...
Fracking May Have Caused 50 Earthquakes in Oklahoma

reply to post by Veritas1

I have one last think I would like to ask. Has anyone else had a feeling of veritigo or sea sea sickness prior to or during these quakes, even if you live hundreds of miles away? I felt that twice during earthquakes that happenend in other states.

There are threads about the dizziness and disorientation many have been feeling for the last week or two. This is apparently an effect from something in our environment that many are effected by. This is the first time I've heard someone suggest a direct link in time to the Earthquakes, but that is an interesting thing to consider in trying to understand what is happening around us. Hmmm

My niece is in college in Muskogee and she said she felt it. I read last night that people in Texas as well as in Illinois, and Wisconsin felt the earthquake, so where was the epicenter?

Oklah oma Earthquake Strongest To Hit State

Originally posted by Unity_99
Fracking could be a cause.

www.care2.com...
Fracking May Have Caused 50 Earthquakes in Oklahoma

I wouldn't be surprised if fracking is the cause, a few months ago Dallas-Fort Worth had a earthquake and fracking is very common in that region.

reply to post by Veritas1


"Increase in Oklahoma seismic activity puzzles scientists"

Well that depends on what "scientist" you talk to. The guys in this article, as well as in the study already mentioned in your article, seem pretty clear that an old fault has reawakened, and the quake was due to faulting, not fracking.

tremblingearth.wordpress.com...

reply to post by TrueAmerican


you are, of course right. But that was the original title to the article but I suppose they changed it.

Originally posted by Veritas1
(snip)

I have one last thing I would like to ask. Has anyone else had a feeling of veritigo or sea sea sickness prior to or during these quakes, even if you live hundreds of miles away? I felt that twice during earthquakes that happenend in other states.

Spot on. I had vertigo half the day before the earthquake hit in Virginia this year. Yet I live in north Florida. I could not figure out as to why. I even mentioned to my roommate that I wondered if there was something going on with the earth because I felt like I was on a ship. We learned shortly there-after about the earthquake in Virginia.

I've learned to pay more heed now.

reply to post by ICEKOHLD


if a massive quake comes out of nowhere on this same fault, I will hold seismologists responsible for not sounding an alert. I will say they should have advised extra caution, once it was seen that the 4.7 was a foreshock to the 5.6. Because that immediately establishes that this fault may not be through moving. In a bigger way yet still. The best astute ATSers in the area can do is seriously, prepare. Right now would be a good time to remove any high, heavy objects and ground em for the next few days, just in case this thing decides to give way. From what I can see of this Wilzetta fault, it has potential to produce an even bigger one. Because as we are shown- on the east side of the country there is no telling just how long that fault may really extend below ground.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Veritas1


You asked about vertigo and yes, but mine started several days ago, possibly too long ago to be related to this quake but I don't know, so I'll mention it just in case. I talked about it with JustMike on this forum and he referred me to another ATS forum where people were recording sudden unexplained onset of vertigo. Yesterday, (Saturday) I also got a strange feeling in my head and my mood suddenly went from normal to irritable for no reason at all and my hands were trembling a bit. I was in good health at my last check up but I'll get another soon. I was working inside the house doing just normal chores and I paused and wondered what the heck is going on with me, why go from happy and smiling to angry and irritable in a moment...and no it's not PMS or menopause! I'm all the way over in Maryland and as I told JustMike many days ago I've had vertigo before in conjunction with quakes. We were talking about the quake in Peru and I said then I didn't think that quake was the trigger. However this one may be it given sudden explosion of wierdness I felt yesterday. I'm somewhat better today but still feel a bit odd. Coincidently my seven year old daughter told me Saturday morning she had earthquake nightmares Friday night. She said the quakes just kept coming and shaking people up. I hadn't heard or seen any news at that point so I thought maybe she was just remembering our DC area quake experience in her dreams for some reason.

Originally posted by Unity_99
Fracking could be a cause.

www.care2.com...
Fracking May Have Caused 50 Earthquakes in Oklahoma

I'm having a fracking hard time believing that fracking is causing these earthquakes.

Maybe it is or maybe it's not, but it's interesting to notice that within the past few months there have been record magnitude earthquakes where earthquakes are rare of high magnitude like in VA, CO, TX and OK. Not to mention record setting weather like the recent snow storm in October in the east, droughts in TX, hurricane in northeast where they have never seen a hurricane.

Just saying...it's interesting how everything is happening lately and we need to justify why it's happening and blame something.

/cue_church_lady_voice_with _ominous_echo "Could it be FRACKING!?!?!?!"


It's not a puzzle here. If you create stress on a fault line you are gonna get quakes.

M.

Increase in Oklahoma seismic activity puzzles scientists

Could be the fracking fault

Here is the Oklahoma Geological Survey report on seismic activity since January, and the correlation they make between fracking and these seismic events.

www.ogs.ou.edu...

Originally posted by Copperflower
Here is the Oklahoma Geological Survey report on seismic activity since January, and the correlation they make between fracking and these seismic events.

www.ogs.ou.edu...

Yeah, only there's a slight problem. These current quakes aren't occurring anywhere near there. That is well to the southwest of where these quakes are happening. By like over 100 miles. So not a good direct comparison.

Originally posted by dreams n chains

Originally posted by Veritas1
(snip)

I have one last thing I would like to ask. Has anyone else had a feeling of veritigo or sea sea sickness prior to or during these quakes, even if you live hundreds of miles away? I felt that twice during earthquakes that happenend in other states.

Spot on. I had vertigo half the day before the earthquake hit in Virginia this year. Yet I live in north Florida. I could not figure out as to why. I even mentioned to my roommate that I wondered if there was something going on with the earth because I felt like I was on a ship. We learned shortly there-after about the earthquake in Virginia.

I've learned to pay more heed now.

edit on 11/6/2011 by dreams n chains because: to fix quote

I woke up this past Wednesday morning, got up & fell flat on my face! WORSE vertigo I had since the Virginia one..It finally left me yesterday, but it was bad enough, my hubs asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, because he was tired of me trying to walk in a straight line, but ending up banging myself against the walls Awful feeling, especially closing your eyes..I knew it would pass, but was surprised it lasted so long this time...The day of the Virginia quake, the vertigo started before the quake, but ended later that evening...We actually ended up with some cracks across our floors up here in Jersey from that quake...Hope that helps?? I will also start paying more attention, since the vertigo seems to be happening more often, to me at least..

reply to post by TrueAmerican


One important question in this would be whether that type of assumption is incorrect, and that they are related, and even connected and therefore affect each other. Fracking + sensitive or risky areas (with known as well as undetermined factors causing the risk) = increased EQs?

In the research world, this document is groundwork, evidence, data that will be part of further work, eventually producing knowledge over time. The fact that it exists at all makes it significant.

The fact that fracking and even earlier earthquakes were already noticed by scientists, and considered important enough to document together is concerning.

reply to post by Veritas1


I once read a book where this guru guy claimed that peoples' energy creates these kinds of events. I thought it was all bahaa bs but since the police brutality in Oaklohoma now there is eqs?

wow...perhaps the guru was onto something?