Fracking Causes Earthquakes in Oklahoma

A study has found that fracking has been causing earthquakes in Oklahoma for several years.  Scientists believe that pumping water with high pressure is causing seismic activity while they are extracting oil and natural gas.  They have found that in the town of Jones, Oklahoma they have experienced over 2500 quakes in the last five years.  The study shows that in the years 2008-2013 the seismic activity has increased 40 times and is 20% of the seismic activity in the region.

Some people believe that if these drilling companies would stop the fracking the earthquakes would stop.

It’s believed that the earthquakes are happening in the South and Midwest areas of the US because the fault lines in these areas are not mapped as in areas where earthquakes usually happen.  Since earthquakes can’t be predicted it is difficult to evaluate that the fracking operation is the source of the seismic activity.  The gas and oil industry don’t believe that they are the ones causing the earthquakes from their fracking.

Oklahoma has on record that during the years 1978-2008 they only had two earthquakes that measured 3.0 and higher.  In 2014 they recorded about 253 quakes that measured 3.0 and higher and the number may rise after all the research is completed.