Oklahoma earthquake linked to oil extraction wastewater

[hue]

Source: BBC News Science

Scientists have linked the underground injection of oil-drilling wastewater to a magnitude-5.7 earthquake in 2011 that struck the US state of Oklahoma.

Wastewater injection from drilling operations has been linked to seismic events in the past, but these have typically been much smaller quakes.

They also have tended to occur in the first weeks or months of injection.
The study in Geology suggests that "induced seismicity" can occur years after wastewater injection begins.

Wastewater was first injected into Oklahoma's Wilzetta oilfields, near the town of Prague, some 18 years prior to the November 2011 series of quakes that included three of magnitude 5 or greater.

The new study adds to an increasing body of evidence that the injection of wastewater is correlated to an increase in seismic events.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21952428

[Cirque du So-What]

1. A message that must be reiterated until people insist upon action

Geologists say Ohio quakes directly tied to fracking
Process uses deep wells in rock to dispose of liquid wastes during natural gas drilling

Fracking operations in Ohio and Oklahoma have been linked to recent earthquakes.


By Eric Niiler
updated 1/6/2012 4:53:16 PM ET

Recent earthquakes in Ohio and Oklahoma have been directly linked to deep wells used to dispose of liquid wastes for hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" of natural gas, according to geological experts.

And they expect more earthquakes to come as the industry continues to expand across the eastern United States.

A boom in gas production using hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" of natural gas has played a role in decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and coal and helped cut energy prices, but evidence is mounting that the process may come at a price.

"To the extent that our nation wants to become independent of meeting its energy needs in the coming years, the increased earthquakes are going to go along with that," said Art McGarr, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif. "The problems are only going to grow in the future."

more...

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45903873/#.UVMQFVeC2So

[Berlum]

2. Crack, Inc.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. Fault lubrication is a real thing. The Army discovered that in the 50's.

Disposing of wastewater...

[sinister minister]

4. Actually, fault lubrication is a good and desirable thing

It allows stresses to be dissipated gradually instead of building up to potentially catastrophic levels.

[liberal N proud]

5. That is pure FICTION

You can prevent large earthquakes by making lots of small ones, or by "lubricating" the fault with water

FICTION: Seismologists have observed that for every magnitude 6 earthquake there are about 10 of magnitude 5, 100 of magnitude 4, 1,000 of magnitude 3, and so forth as the events get smaller and smaller. This sounds like a lot of small earthquakes, but there are never enough small ones to eliminate the occasional large event. It would take 32 magnitude 5's, 1000 magnitude 4's, OR 32,000 magnitude 3's to equal the energy of one magnitude 6 event. So, even though we always record many more small events than large ones, there are far too few to eliminate the need for the occasional large earthquake. As for "lubricating" faults with water or some other substance, if anything, this would have the opposite effect. Injecting high- pressure fluids deep into the ground is known to be able to trigger earthquakes—to cause them to occur sooner than would have been the case without the injection. This would be a dangerous pursuit in any populated area, as one might trigger a damaging earthquake.


http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/megaqk_facts_fantasy.php

[AtheistCrusader]

8. LOGARITHMICS! HOW DO THEY FUCKING WORK?!

A lot of people don't understand that the Richter scale is logarithmic. A 6m is 10 times more powerful than a 5m.

I prefer the MMIS instead, because people can relate to it by the observable damage. It's not just some rather arbitrary number scheme. Richter scale really just measures energy release, which isn't terribly relevant to the individual observer.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Unless it doesn't.

Also, cite your source.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. Years after? That means we are sitting on a lot of potential earthquakes.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. In locations in the country where we've never had a quake in recorded human history.

FUN

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Lots of unreinforced brick buildings too....

[AtheistCrusader]

11. Oh yeah. Local building codes are usually predicated on having seen the disaster before.

There are places in the US where a big quake could kill astronomical numbers of people. People are shocked when it happens in developing nations, but they don't build those buildings as tall as we do. Don't have some of the vertical population densities we have.

When it happens, it's going to be absolutely staggering. And like with global warming, there's apparently very little we can do to warn people and get them thinking/planning for it.