Oklahomans are accustomed to scorching heat, driving thunderstorms and deadly tornadoes. But not earthquakes—until recently, the state never had more than 11 earthquakes a year that measured 2.0 or greater on the Richter scale. In 2013 there were 291. More than 250 earthquakes of at least that magnitude have struck in February 2014 alone. -It’s incredibly unusual ,” says Austin […]
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PAKISTAN: The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Balochistan—killing at least 515 people—shifted enough mud and rock to create a new island in the Arabian Sea, off the port city of Gwadar. The land mass, seen here in a photo shot by the Pleiades satellite, is reportedly about 250 ft. (76 m) long and roughly 60 ft. (18 m) high. Like others […]
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Prague, Okla Tremors from fracking: Scientists have linked Oklahoma’s largest earthquake—a 5.6 magnitude quake near the town of Prague, in 2011—to hydraulic fracturing, supporting claims that the process increases seismic activity. Fracking, as it is known, injects water and chemicals into petroleum deposits in order to extract trapped gas. This week, researchers at the University of Oklahoma, Columbia University, and […]
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La Habra, Calif. Quake fears: The magnitude-5.1 earthquake rattled Southern California, raising fears that the tremors could presage the long-dreaded “Big One”—a catastrophic quake that could devastate the region. The temblor and its more than 100 aftershocks originated in La Habra, Calif., along the Puente Hills thrust fault that stretches from the suburbs of northern Orange County into Hollywood. Residents […]
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Baluchistan, Pakistan A massive earthquake in Pakistan’s province of Baluchistan killed hundreds of people and created a new island off the coast. The magnitude-7.7 tremor flattened entire mud-brick villages. Troops deployed to fight an insurgency of separatist Baluchis were on hand to help rescue people, but the affected area is so huge that it will take days to reach some […]
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