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Fracking Tied to Unusual Rise in Earthquakes in U.S.

Bloomberg -- A spate of earthquakes across the middle of the U.S. is “almost certainly” man-made, and may be caused by wastewater from oil or gas drilling injected into the ground, U.S. government scientists said in a study.

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey said that for the three decades until 2000, seismic events in the nation’s midsection averaged 21 a year. They jumped to 50 in 2009, 87 in 2010 and 134 in 2011.

Those statistics, included in the abstract of a research paper to be discussed at the Seismological Society of America conference next week in San Diego, will add pressure on an energy industry already confronting more regulation of the process of hydraulic fracturing.

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Submitted Apr 13, 2012 By: Mudsprings

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,599 Points:1,607,570 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Apr 17, 2012 4:59:14 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse doesn't take much if one understands just a bit about geology to realize the impact of high pressure water injection into deep earth layers. It's like CA except, pressure build up is man-made and more dangerous.
movrshakr Champion Author Florida Posts:1,323 Points:1,448,000 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 12:59:56 PM Ignore movrshakr Report Abuse . Hey, I know what we should do...let's go back to the cave age and hunt fallen trees and burn them for energy. Oh, wait. That pollutes. Back to the drawing board. OK, now I've got it. We get rid of all humans then the world will have only natural things in it.
the1roadhog Champion Author Atlanta Posts:9,903 Points:2,053,955 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 6:43:51 AM Ignore the1roadhog Report Abuse Are we reaching a bit for a story here?
gravityhurts Champion Author North Carolina Posts:4,083 Points:935,555 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 6:31:40 AM Ignore gravityhurts Report Abuse These are the same folks that think that man causes global climate change...I'm laughing!
epf Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:6,324 Points:1,889,405 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 5:43:26 AM Ignore epf Report Abuse Glad to see this is getting the Press it deserves.
tidalwave3 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:1,299 Points:1,461,900 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 10:55:35 PM Ignore tidalwave3 Report Abuse Really
Prodaddy Champion Author Houston Posts:8,375 Points:1,894,210 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 10:52:45 PM Ignore Prodaddy Report Abuse I can believe this
Blue48 Champion Author Illinois Posts:7,300 Points:1,636,970 Joined:Feb 2007	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 10:18:03 PM Ignore Blue48 Report Abuse DIDN'T THEY ALREADY HAVE A BIG DEBATE ON THIS!
ExplorerWA Champion Author Washington Posts:4,073 Points:795,300 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 9:45:08 PM Ignore ExplorerWA Report Abuse There seems to be two different ideas on this.
roadrunnin Champion Author Richmond Posts:1,749 Points:563,410 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 9:18:16 PM Ignore roadrunnin Report Abuse more drilling = more earthquakes are we surprised?
NemoIL Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,015 Points:1,311,170 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:51:29 PM Ignore NemoIL Report Abuse The liberal news/government complex likes to parade it's "experts" out in front of the public to push a pseudo-scientific agenda, in an attempt to shut down any energy production here in the United States. They want people who do not understand geology believe this fairy tale. [Edited by: NemoIL at 4/13/2012 9:52:51 PM EST]
boborobot All-Star Author Michigan Posts:501 Points:415,800 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:50:58 PM Ignore boborobot Report Abuse We'll see when the real data comes out.
adr47 Champion Author Saskatchewan Posts:5,667 Points:1,178,750 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:41:23 PM Ignore adr47 Report Abuse Greed not science is giving a good technology a very bad name.
Shakleelady31 All-Star Author Fort Wayne Posts:571 Points:400,100 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:37:44 PM Ignore Shakleelady31 Report Abuse Interesting information.
NotmeuQc Champion Author Montreal Posts:5,646 Points:1,132,100 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:25:02 PM Ignore NotmeuQc Report Abuse One group says yes, another says no. With all the drilling, fracking, and mining, it stands to reason that it will affect the planet somehow.
waynemustang Champion Author Indiana Posts:6,367 Points:1,663,835 Joined:Nov 2006	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:20:13 PM Ignore waynemustang Report Abuse Hahaha, blame it on oil and gas drilling. How ignorant.
no8c Champion Author Ohio Posts:2,799 Points:703,875 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:18:43 PM Ignore no8c Report Abuse Thanks for posting this article!
ELECTRICALMIKE Sophomore Author Alberta Posts:156 Points:769,045 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:16:38 PM Ignore ELECTRICALMIKE Report Abuse i dont think so
gd83goldwinger Champion Author South Bend Posts:1,428 Points:503,480 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:13:30 PM Ignore gd83goldwinger Report Abuse Ok.
nigelb Champion Author Virginia Posts:8,449 Points:1,389,805 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:07:10 PM Ignore nigelb Report Abuse Fracking should be banned if this proves to be true.
DriverofRed Champion Author Calgary Posts:2,173 Points:411,885 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:02:19 PM Ignore DriverofRed Report Abuse another piece of bullshit...
dlemma Champion Author Wyoming Posts:4,101 Points:1,554,045 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 8:01:08 PM Ignore dlemma Report Abuse No way.....the facts of fracturing will come out.
menagerie1013 Champion Author San Diego Posts:2,365 Points:688,365 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:59:44 PM Ignore menagerie1013 Report Abuse Fracking is bad for the environment.
agr964 All-Star Author Fresno Posts:614 Points:70,780 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:53:29 PM Ignore agr964 Report Abuse txkrb may have it. Better to release the energy with a series of smaller quakes that do nothing than one huge quake that destroys several cities.
puckheadmn Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:1,258 Points:1,129,050 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:48:10 PM Ignore puckheadmn Report Abuse Whatever.
txkrb Champion Author Texas Posts:1,558 Points:637,490 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:48:09 PM Ignore txkrb Report Abuse This is BS, earthquakes are caused by two or more plates in the earths crust moving and pressure generated between the two. When the pressure is too great one or both move violently and the result is an earthquake A few (more) thousand gallons of water under the surface is not going to cause these plates to move and created a quake What could possibly happen is the extra fluids could cause the plates to slip before adequate pressure has built and you have a small tremor or quake So what is more likely is fracking could reduce the chance of larger quakes by causing the early release of the built up pressure, before the pressure is great enough to cause a larger quake
DblChek Champion Author San Antonio Posts:2,342 Points:614,310 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:42:20 PM Ignore DblChek Report Abuse Mas election year BS
RickF350 Champion Author Washington Posts:3,417 Points:705,535 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:40:14 PM Ignore RickF350 Report Abuse I heard fracking will cause the world to end.
bababooey2 Champion Author Hartford Posts:6,342 Points:1,300,890 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:39:12 PM Ignore bababooey2 Report Abuse This is a joke.
agr964 All-Star Author Fresno Posts:614 Points:70,780 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:38:30 PM Ignore agr964 Report Abuse Correlation does not always equal causation.
soups5 Veteran Author Victoria Posts:377 Points:569,595 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:37:28 PM Ignore soups5 Report Abuse many small reliefs could be a good thing???????
seabrz7 Champion Author California Posts:1,400 Points:224,810 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:35:55 PM Ignore seabrz7 Report Abuse I'm not sure I believe this.... Earthquakes are up world wide. There has been a lot of quakes in unusual places.
darkknight1 Champion Author Winston-Salem Posts:4,330 Points:894,110 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:33:14 PM Ignore darkknight1 Report Abuse Not sure about this
naiiawah Champion Author Boise Posts:2,380 Points:688,025 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:32:19 PM Ignore naiiawah Report Abuse No Duh!
carpenter4u Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,436 Points:614,895 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:29:45 PM Ignore carpenter4u Report Abuse If you believe this, I have a bridge I would love to sell you
calripken_8 Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,891 Points:657,240 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:27:13 PM Ignore calripken_8 Report Abuse I don't think we have that much power to affect this, sorry.
ThatHunt Champion Author Dallas Posts:4,498 Points:1,953,910 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:24:35 PM Ignore ThatHunt Report Abuse Oklahoma gets one on a 2.0 - 3.5 on a regular basis. Awfully close to drilling area. Small quakes are in places that just so happen to be close to drilling areas. Hydraulic fracturing is also not safe to nearby residents. The natural gas industry lobby is powerful in Washington. We are inundated with commercials on television making natural gas look like a wonderful alternative to oil.
GRUMPY55 Champion Author California Posts:1,624 Points:422,525 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:18:05 PM Ignore GRUMPY55 Report Abuse ok
LaVonneK Champion Author Iowa Posts:2,935 Points:624,800 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:17:39 PM Ignore LaVonneK Report Abuse Not good.
melvindale Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,438 Points:351,230 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:17:08 PM Ignore melvindale Report Abuse You think this would stop fracking dead. I doubt it will. Maybe if there's a really big quake that say, flattens Saint Louis, but that's still a maybe. I was against fracking the moment I heard the word fracking. See on the new Battlestar Galactica the word frack (or fracking or fracker or fracked) is used just like a word that also begins with f and also ends with k, but if I used it here I would likely be in trouble. (I live in the USA, as far as swear words go, it is the Taliban of the West.) Hopefully, you see the point that fracking with the earth is a bad idea.
HEBster Champion Author Kentucky Posts:8,778 Points:2,372,075 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:15:56 PM Ignore HEBster Report Abuse Don't see it...
jwduke1 Champion Author Iowa Posts:15,604 Points:3,068,265 Joined:Apr 2004	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:13:11 PM Ignore jwduke1 Report Abuse The sky is falling, the sky is falling!
rjhenn Champion Author Des Moines Posts:22,430 Points:2,228,500 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:07:43 PM Ignore rjhenn Report Abuse But maybe the small ones are just loosening things up for the BIG one!
spotterFL Champion Author Florida Posts:4,098 Points:521,090 Joined:Aug 2009	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:01:24 PM Ignore spotterFL Report Abuse Better to have a series of small earthquakes to relive the pressure than one BIG one that can be devastating.
spotterFL Champion Author Florida Posts:4,098 Points:521,090 Joined:Aug 2009	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:59:41 PM Ignore spotterFL Report Abuse voodoo science
allian04 Rookie Author Colorado Posts:5 Points:3,775 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:56:34 PM Ignore allian04 Report Abuse zombie apocalypse 2012
dpt Champion Author Michigan Posts:2,249 Points:2,202,015 Joined:Mar 2005	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:55:54 PM Ignore dpt Report Abuse It's not the fracking, it's the injection of waste water, especially if it's injected deeply into old rocks, which frequently have hidden faults. The problem can probably be avoided, but ignoring it isn't the answer.
97beater Sophomore Author Madison Posts:249 Points:290,605 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:55:17 PM Ignore 97beater Report Abuse very scary. earthquakes in wisconsin, highly unusual
iceman11 Champion Author Ontario Posts:2,715 Points:536,425 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:54:30 PM Ignore iceman11 Report Abuse hmmmm interesting
walkingtall Champion Author Toronto Posts:3,989 Points:1,119,730 Joined:Nov 2004	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 6:53:52 PM Ignore walkingtall Report Abuse If they're small it's just the earth shifting.