OK earthquake warning

[swardboy]

From Livescience;

Rare Earthquake Warning Issued for Oklahoma


By Becky Oskin, Senior Writer | May 05, 2014 03:30

Mile for mile, there are almost as many earthquakes rattling Oklahoma as California this year. This major increase in seismic shaking led to a rare earthquake warning today (May 5) from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Geological Survey.
In a joint statement, the agencies said the risk of a damagingearthquake (http://www.livescience.com/topics/earthquakes/) — one larger than magnitude 5.0 — has significantly increased in central Oklahoma.
Geologists don't know when or where the state's next big earthquake will strike, nor will they put a number on the increased risk. "We haven't seen this before in Oklahoma, so we had some concerns about putting a specific number on the chances of it," Robert Williams, a research geophysicist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program in Golden, Colorado, told Live Science. "But we know from other cases around the world that if you have an increasing number of small earthquakes, the chances of a larger one will go up." [Watch 2500+ Oklahoma Earthquakes Since 2012 (Video) (http://www.livescience.com/45351-oklahoma-2500+-earthquakes-since-2012-wastewater-to-blame-visualization.html)]

[BigTip]

Frack me!
That's scary.

[hawaii 5-0]

I don't get it.

Growing up in OK earthquakes were almost unheard of.

Now it's frequently happening.

What's the big change ? Can someone knowledgeable in earth science enlighten us ?


5-0

[Skysooner]

I don't get it.

Growing up in OK earthquakes were almost unheard of.

Now it's frequently happening.

What's the big change ? Can someone knowledgeable in earth science enlighten us ?


5-0

Easy. Faults take a long time to build up stress in the earth. Oklahoma sits atop the Nemaha Ridge subsurface feature which has many faults. Once there is enough stress, the earth has to release some of that. The earthquakes over the last few years have just been releasing some of the stress, but the movement will cause instability along other fault lines. This is why a major one is probably due.

[badger]

NOT FRACKING...directly. Rather, small, undetectable earthquakes are caused during fracking, but the noticeable 3.0-and-above ones?

Wastewater injection. (http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/tag/deep-injection-well/)

This wastewater is created by fracking, and rather than just keeping it at the surface where it could cause environmental issues, they inject it deep into the earth... which is likely causing the earthquake activity to rise.

I wish we could transport it all somewhere remote where quakes wouldn't matter as much, but the farther you transport wastewater, the greater the potential for it to spill and cause a Carthage-like never-grow-anything-again (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carthage_%28c._149_BC%29) situation.

[Skysooner]

NOT FRACKING...directly. Rather, small, undetectable earthquakes are caused during fracking, but the noticeable 3.0-and-above ones?

Wastewater injection. (http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/tag/deep-injection-well/)

This wastewater is created by fracking, and rather than just keeping it at the surface where it could cause environmental issues, they inject it deep into the earth... which is likely causing the earthquake activity to rise.

I wish we could transport it all somewhere remote where quakes wouldn't matter as much, but the farther you transport wastewater, the greater the potential for it to spill and cause a Carthage-like never-grow-anything-again (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carthage_%28c._149_BC%29) situation.


The only problem with that article is that in Oklahoma, the earthquakes are about 10,000' below the injection zones. Near Youngstown, Ohio it was a problem and can be a problem.

[swardboy]

Yesterday, 5/7/14: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/#%7B%22feed%22%3A%221day_m25%22%2C%22search%22%3An ull%2C%22sort%22%3A%22newest%22%2C%22basemap%22%3A %22grayscale%22%2C%22autoUpdate%22%3Atrue%2C%22res trictListToMap%22%3Atrue%2C%22timeZone%22%3A%22loc al%22%2C%22mapposition%22%3A%5B%5B14.8598504006010 37%2C-145.8984375%5D%2C%5B57.468589192089325%2C-53.96484375%5D%5D%2C%22overlays%22%3A%7B%22plates% 22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22viewModes%22%3A%7B%22list%22%3At rue%2C%22map%22%3Atrue%2C%22settings%22%3Afalse%2C %22help%22%3Afalse%7D%7D

[Turd_Ferguson]

I think Howard was up in that area yesterday...

[sooneron]

The fact that people think that NOTHING bad will come from injecting "water" (that is so nasty that it can't be stored above ground) deep into the earth, really puzzles me. Then, I remember that this is all about the $ and those people don't give a **** about anything down the road 50 or more years from now (hell it could be 10). They care about the quick buck today. We seems destined to repeat the Dust Bowl in one way or another, as that was mostly man made.

[Skysooner]

The fact that people think that NOTHING bad will come from injecting "water" (that is so nasty that it can't be stored above ground) deep into the earth, really puzzles me. Then, I remember that this is all about the $ and those people don't give a **** about anything down the road 50 or more years from now (hell it could be 10). They care about the quick buck today. We seems destined to repeat the Dust Bowl in one way or another, as that was mostly man made.

Do you honestly know what you are talking about? This wastewater is primarily saltwater. What do you think exists deep within the earth? This stuff isn't injected anywhere near fresh water bearing zones (which are naturally occurring by the way). They are injected into zones that already have saltwater.

[sooneron]

It's not just salt. Let me guess. You work in the NG biz or have a financial interest in it?

[mojorisen2014]

Go ahead and google it up

[Skysooner]

It's not just salt. Let me guess. You work in the NG biz or have a financial interest in it?

Yes, but I also have degrees in Geology and a Master's in Rock Mechanics. I was saying this water is injected nowhere near any sort of potable water, and the water in the ground is full of all sorts of crud too. Just because you are injecting saltwater with some chemicals in it more than a mile from any aquifer does not mean it is causing any sort of problem. You have saltwater pretty close to your fresh water sources that is much more likely to cause problems. Rusty gasoline storage tanks are a much greater hazard overall than injecting water downhole. Are you one of the anti-fracking crowd?

[okie52]

It's not just salt. Let me guess. You work in the NG biz or have a financial interest in it?

Its about 98% salt water. Salt water injection wells have been around for many decades.

Please explain how epicenters that are 4 miles deep are caused by injection wells that are 1 mile or less deep?

[sooneron]

Gravity? I have never heard of water finding it's way upward. You?

Its about 98% salt water. Salt water injection wells have been around for many decades.

Please explain how epicenters that are 4 miles deep are caused by injection wells that are 1 mile or less deep?

[sooneron]

Yes, but I also have degrees in Geology and a Master's in Rock Mechanics. I was saying this water is injected nowhere near any sort of potable water, and the water in the ground is full of all sorts of crud too. Just because you are injecting saltwater with some chemicals in it more than a mile from any aquifer does not mean it is causing any sort of problem. You have saltwater pretty close to your fresh water sources that is much more likely to cause problems. Rusty gasoline storage tanks are a much greater hazard overall than injecting water downhole. Are you one of the anti-fracking crowd?

Yes would have sufficed.

[sooneron]

Are you one of the anti-fracking crowd?

I do not want it where I reside. NO ONE knows exactly what it can do to the balance of nature. Go ahead and keep it in Oklahoma (just don't ask for any more hand outs when the quakes get really bad). I feel for my Mom and other relatives that are in states where it is gloves off and they ignore the implications, but they continue to "live" there.
Let Chesapeake and Devon pay for it. ( I am good friends with Larry Nichols' Momma) They can afford it. The funny thing is, none of them will, they will fight tooth and nail to ignore any culpability. Why? Because they DGAS and they have lawyers.Even if whatever company you work for KNEW that they were guilty of any wrongdoing, they would line their lawyers up for decades to counter sue and drag the issue out in courts. YOu know that and therefore, you are part of the problem. Keep looking yourself in the mirror. I do it everyday. You? I seriously doubt that if you were given a raise tomorrow, you would NEVER find any fault with fracking even if the facts & science were against the "company line". The first step in being a shill is to admit that you might be one. YWIA.

[Skysooner]

I do not want it where I reside. NO ONE knows exactly what it can do to the balance of nature. Go ahead and keep it in Oklahoma (just don't ask for any more hand outs when the quakes get really bad). I feel for my Mom and other relatives that are in states where it is gloves off and they ignore the implications, but they continue to "live" there.
Let Chesapeake and Devon pay for it. ( I am good friends with Larry Nichols' Momma) They can afford it. The funny thing is, none of them will, they will fight tooth and nail to ignore any culpability. Why? Because they DGAS and they have lawyers.Even if whatever company you work for KNEW that they were guilty of any wrongdoing, they would line their lawyers up for decades to counter sue and drag the issue out in courts. YOu know that and therefore, you are part of the problem. Keep looking yourself in the mirror. I do it everyday. You? I seriously doubt that if you were given a raise tomorrow, you would NEVER find any fault with fracking even if the facts & science were against the "company line". The first step in being a shill is to admit that you might be one. YWIA.

I happen to be a scientist who is environmentally aware too. You are demonizing an entire industry with no facts to back you up. I am appalled at the ignorance that is put out about fracking. You do know that over 1.5 million wells have been fracked since 1948? Unless you can talk intelligently about induced seismicity your opinion isn't worth anything. Answer okie52's question first. How can earthquakes that deep be caused by wastewater that is injected 2 miles higher and your gravity segregation answer is plain wrong too.

[olevetonahill]

Yall wanta know the truth? Its all those fat Broads shakin their Booty at Sugars !

[SoonerStormchaser]

^^ Either that, or you just blew up another toilet when you flushed... ;)

[Turd_Ferguson]

I think Flag has been eating those Injun tacos again...