Earthquakes, Hydrology, and Fracking
This is the beginning of a discussion concerning whether or not human activities can trigger or change the likelihood of the occurence of earthquakes This page was started on 10/22/12, the day after The Weather Channel posted the article cited below. Interestingly, my sister had mentioned to me on the 21st the increase in articles and publications linking fracking activities with earthquakes (also mentioned in the article).
Judging by what has occurred in the last 3 years here in Hollis, Maine, after they started a new water extraction and bottling plant on the local aquifer, I would not be surprised if these concerns are valid. We had a 2.9 earthquake with epicenter at the bottling plant in 2010; now in 2012 we just had a 4.0 less than a mile from where I live.
Judging by present discussion, humans can impact earthquake occurence by; 1. removal of large amounts of water from the earth, 2. building massive dams, 3. geothermal well drilling, or 4. (in the case of fracking) injecting large amounts of water into the ground. Future concerns include the theoretical consequences of planned carbon sequestration.
If it is possible to change stresses within the earth or (in the case of fracking), 'lubricate' areas of stresses and make it easier for slip (and quake) to occur more easily and frequently, what is it doing when we remove petroleum per se?
1. Scientists Link Deep Wells to Deadly Spain Quake
http://www.weather.com/news/spain-quake-wells-20121021
'The 2011 Lorca earthquake slip distribution controlled by groundwater crustal unloading
Author:
Pablo J. González, Kristy F. Tiampo, Mimmo Palano, Flavio Cannavó, José Fernández
Publication:
Nature Geoscience
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Date:
Oct 21, 2012'
'The 2011 Lorca earthquake slip distribution controlled by groundwater crustal unloading
Author:
Pablo J. González, Kristy F. Tiampo, Mimmo Palano, Flavio Cannavó, José Fernández
Publication:
Nature Geoscience
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Date:
Oct 21, 2012'
2. USGS on fracking and earthquakes, especially the 3rd speaker.
3. Image below shows waste water from fracking pumped into the ground. A well is drilled below the aquifer (and so we hope ground and potable well-water is not contaminated- but in fact this does occur), and then the waste water is pumped in- millions of gallons for some wells. If it impinges on a pre-existing fault, an earthquake may be triggered. See this article from Smithsonian Magazine;
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/08/fracking-for-natural-gas-is-linked-with-earthquakes/
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2012/08/fracking-for-natural-gas-is-linked-with-earthquakes/
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Mike Norton
5. 'Unpacking health hazards in fracking's chemical cocktail';
from the website
http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.3/unpacking-health-hazards-in-frackings-chemical-cocktail
