Earthquake and New Technology Warning System by Emo_CutE_GiRl_ 2013/07/21 01:00
Earthquakes are probably the hardest natural disaster to foresee, as prediction technologies can only provide a few seconds warning before the shaking starts. In some areas, however, earthquake activity is becoming more predictable and humans may be to blame.
Human-caused earthquakes are a controversial idea that just received a major boost with a new study inScience showing an increase in seismic activity in areas where wastewater is pumped underground. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, requires pumping huge amounts of water underground to release natural gas. The resultingchemical-laden wastewater is then often injected underground elsewhere. Areas around those injection sites have experienced a surge in seismic activity. For instance, the central United States averaged 21 earthquakes from the 1960s to 2000, compared to 188 earthquakes in 2011.
Earthquakes are probably the hardest natural disaster to foresee, as prediction technologies can only provide a few seconds warning before the shaking starts. In some areas, however, earthquake activity is becoming more predictable and humans may be to blame.
Human-caused earthquakes are a controversial idea that just received a major boost with a new study inScience showing an increase in seismic activity in areas where wastewater is pumped underground. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, requires pumping huge amounts of water underground to release natural gas. The resultingchemical-laden wastewater is then often injected underground elsewhere. Areas around those injection sites have experienced a surge in seismic activity. For instance, the central United States averaged 21 earthquakes from the 1960s to 2000, compared to 188 earthquakes in 2011.
Emo_CutE_GiRl_ 2013/07/21 01:03
The researchers looked atseismic activity around wastewater injection sitesin Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado and saw spikes in earthquakes following major seismic events around the globe, such asthe 8.8 magnitude Chile quake in 2010 and the 9.0magnitude quake in Japan in 2011. That suggests that those areasare being critically stressed by the raising of the pore pressure by fluidinjections, the authors say, and that worse earthquakes may be in store in the future.
Tellingly, Japans quake triggered several earthquakes in Snyder, Texas in the immediate aftermath. About six months later, the region was hit with a quake of magnitude 4.5.
The researchers looked atseismic activity around wastewater injection sitesin Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado and saw spikes in earthquakes following major seismic events around the globe, such asthe 8.8 magnitude Chile quake in 2010 and the 9.0magnitude quake in Japan in 2011. That suggests that those areasare being critically stressed by the raising of the pore pressure by fluidinjections, the authors say, and that worse earthquakes may be in store in the future.
Tellingly, Japans quake triggered several earthquakes in Snyder, Texas in the immediate aftermath. About six months later, the region was hit with a quake of magnitude 4.5.
Emo_CutE_GiRl_ 2013/07/21 01:04
Reference: Enhanced Remote Earthquake Triggering at Fluid-InjectionSites in the Midwestern United
Reference: Enhanced Remote Earthquake Triggering at Fluid-InjectionSites in the Midwestern United
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