Prior to the September 3 natural disaster, which occurred as the result of shallow strike-slip faulting about 15 kilometres northwest of the town of Pawnee, the surrounding area of Oklahoma and Kansas has hosted close to 80 other magnitude 4 or larger events over the preceding decade, USGS reported.
Advertisement
Saturday’s quake, which struck 14km northwest of Pawnee in north-central Oklahoma at 7.02am local timehad a magnitude of 5.6, matching in strength a temblor that hit the state in 2011, the USGS reported on its website.
“In town there’s been no fire, no injuries reported, we’ve been very, very lucky, ” the mayor of Pawnee, Brad Sewell, told Fox News.
The 5.6 magnitude quake tied a 2011 record for the biggest quake in Oklahoma.
There should be an embedded item here.
Oklahoma Geological Survey is embarking on a six-month study of oil and gas injection wells to better understand earthquakes caused by fracking wastewater disposal. Growing up in California, he said he has experienced much worse.
The report found that oil and gas drilling activity, particularly practices like hydraulic fracturing or fracking, is at issue.
“The Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which since 2013 has asked wastewater-well owners to reduce disposal volumes in parts of the state, directed about 37 wells within an approximately 725-square-mile area around the epicenter to shut down within seven to 10 days because of previous connections between the injection of wastewater and earthquakes”, said The Oklahoman.
The Environmental Protection Agency is also investigating, Fallin said. Randell said the man was treated at a hospital and released. “It just started shaking”, said Wills, who lives about 2½ miles outside of town.
“We are pleased with the speed and efficiency of our crews in their response to this event and dedication to ensuring public safety”, ODOT executive director Mike Patterson said.
Zachary Reeves, a seismologist with the USGS National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, said the agency had received reports of the Oklahoma quake from South Dakota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Pawnee, Oklahoma, but the effects were felt as far away as Chicago and San Antonio.
The USGS report from March indicated there’s reason to believe there may be more, less docile quakes ahead.
Oklahoma officials have ordered 37 wastewater disposal wells shut down after a 5.6-magnitude quake struck the state on Saturday, equal to the strongest in the state’s history.
One person was injured in Saturday’s quake, and at least 14 buildings were damaged, but officials were breathing a sigh of relief that the destruction wasn’t worse.
Damage was reported in Pawnee, with bricks falling off several buildings.
Advertisement
Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
