Texas Is Rattling with More Earthquakes, Fracking and Fault Lines Linked

According to scientists, there is a definite link between fracking (which releases large amounts of methane) and Texas’ earthquake increase.

Freaky Friday

On Friday morning the 19th, residents near Hermleigh, Texas, (around 54 miles northwest of Abilene) were treated to some rattling beneath their feet – the first of two earthquakes that hit that day, logged as a 5.1 on the Richter scale.

The second one was recorded as a 3.0.

Some More Shaking

Skip to a day later, when a 4.3-magnitude also caused some excitement around the same location.

But a handful of quakes were soon to follow during the week.

A Bigger One

The strongest of these new quakes occurred at about 10:38 p.m. Monday (22nd), when a 4.9 one hit just west of the Scurry-Fisher county line.

But another one soon followed – this time a 2.8 shaker that hit several miles to the northwest.

What a Week!

But that still wasn’t the end of it, as three more earthquakes followed in the same region, all hitting within a period of 30 minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

No damage has been reported thus far.

More and More?

These new shake-ups are certainly not the only ones to hit the Lone Star State. In fact, it would seem earthquakes have become increasingly common in Texas, especially during the last 5 years.

It has been reported that there has been 436 earthquakes in July so far (Earthquake Track).

It Would Seem So

According to the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, 2,493 earthquakes registering a 2.0-magnitude or higher were recorded in 2023.

Compare that with 2022’s data, when 2,601 quakes of at least 2.0 each were also registered in Texas.

A Definite Uptick

But the bureau also states that these are more than double the amount that hit the state in 2020 – and at least 8 times more than 2017’s.

This data was highlighted in a 2023 paper published by the Geological Society of America, authored by Dr. Peter H. Hennings, the principal investigator for the Bureau of Economic Geology’s Center for Injection and Seismicity Research, and Michael H. Young.

Why All the Shaking?

Although the precise reason for these quakes won’t be determined until more comprehensive research, USGS data tells us that they were all part of the same cluster of quakes that hit the Hermleigh area the past week or so.

Fracking to Blame?

Brian Stump, a professor at Southern Methodist University who researches seismic wave propagation, has mentioned that fracking might have something to do with it.

“Since 2016, the state of Texas has been pretty proactive,” Stump told KDFW. “And so, there’s now a very robust set of seismic stations around the state of Texas. Those are designed to be able to study these kinds of events. If indeed this happens to be an induced event, then maybe mitigate the additional events by changing activities in the area.”

How Does It Work?

Also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracking entails drilling deep into the earth and injecting water, chemicals, and sand into a layer of shale and “tight” rock.

This causes gas, previously trapped in the rock, to be released and pushed to the surface.

Blame the Water?

But along with the gas, polluted water is also sent to the surface. To dispose of it, it’s simply drilled back into the underground rocks.

This, according to many, is the reason for the recent uptick in earthquakes.

Banned by Some

But aside from the shaking, fracking has also been accused of cancer-causing pollutants, among other life-threatening conditions.

In fact, it’s been banned in various states, including Maryland, New York, and Vermont.

So Not Fracking Per Se?

The USGS has stated that “most induced earthquakes are not directly caused by hydraulic fracturing”, but rather the disposing of the wastewater.

The USGS has also been documenting the tremors triggered by fracking.

What Then?

Various researchers, including Dr. Hennings, see the disposal of the wastewater as the “primary causal agent”

Hennings described the 4.9-magnitude quake near Hermleigh last week as “certainly notable.”

How Many Barrels?

According to Hennings, his research points to a definite link between fracking (specifically, injecting the wastewater back into the ground) and earthquakes.

His findings, along with his colleague Katie Smye’s, are documented in an upcoming paper illustrating the scope of wastewater injections.

According to their data, approximately 45 billion barrels have had to be disposed of since 2009.

There IS A Link

Hennings also states that once the fracking and injections stop, the earthquakes also cease, although not immediately.

“Even if you stop injection, that pressure takes time to dissipate,” Hennings said. “If you were to stop injection today, it doesn’t mean the earthquakes will stop today… but they still stop.”

What Does Texas Say?

Politically speaking, Texas is backing fracking.

The state’s governor, Greg Abbott, signed into law legislation prohibiting the banning of fracking on a local level in 2016.

This was after Denton voters supported the banning of fracking.

Property Comes First

Abbott claimed he was looking out for private property rights after signing the fracking ban.

“[The law] does a profound job of protecting private property rights here in the state of Texas, ensuring those that own their own property are not going to have the heavy hand of local regulation deprive them of their private property rights,” Abbott claimed.

Shaking It Up

One year later, Texas launched a network tasked with observing earthquakes to better comprehend the link between the shaking and oil-and-gas.

According to that data, there has been a definite increase in earthquakes.

Get Used To It

After monitoring the statistics, Hennings is clear about his findings: “We’ve learned a lot by watching these processes play out in Texas,” he said.

“Now we see it very clearly. It’s following what we expect. If the rates of injection increase, I would expect problematic earthquakes.”

The Latest Shake

On Saturday afternoon, another quaker hit West Texas, this one logged as a 4.3-magnitude.

DeSantis in More Hot Water as Florida Floods, Again

Florida residents are struggling this hurricane season, and many are pointing the finger at a certain Governor. DeSantis in More Hot Water as Florida Floods, Again

J.C. Penney’s Closures Signal the End of an Era in Retail

Popular department store, J.C. Penney, has announced the closure of multiple stores across the country. This announcement reflects changes in the retail industry as online shopping becomes more popular. But how will these changes affect consumers and the future of in-store shopping? J.C. Penney’s Closures Signal the End of an Era in Retail

Michigan’s Governor Whitmer Lays Down the Law for HOAs

Gretchen Whitmer has just taken on HOAs across Michigan. Who won? Michigan’s Governor Whitmer Lays Down the Law for HOAs

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Vastram.

The images used are for illustrative purposes only and may not represent the actual people or places mentioned in the article.