A 5.6 order of magnitude earthquake judder part of the US Midwest earlier this break of the day , rattle homes from Nebraska to North Texas . The unusually strong temblor will likely trace further scrutiny to the practice of disposing petroleum and gas field wastewater deep underground .
The US Geological Survey recordeda 5.6 order of magnitude quake at 7:02 am this morningin north - primal Oklahoma . It was centered about nine miles ( 14 km ) from Pawnee , Oklahoma . A second quake was record less than an hour afterward , mensurate 3.6 .
5.6 order of magnitude earthquake rattles Midwest from Texas to Nebraskahttps://t.co/9aj2bsp9z4pic.twitter.com/9o3na95yAN
— ABC News ( @ABC)September 3 , 2016
Initial reports designate that the earthquake was feel as far north as Nebraska , and in big metropolitan region such as Dallas and St. Louis . No major equipment casualty or injuries have been reported , but officials in the city are meeting to form a plan to assess damage and determine possible next footfall .
https://twitter.com/embed/status/772056942399270912
What a mess after the#earthquakein#Pawneepic.twitter.com / sZC1QkdyIz
— Amy Slanchik ( @amyslanchik)September 3 , 2016
This quake is similar to one that struck the region five year ago , but seism of this magnitude are exceptionally uncommon . Oklahoma has have many quakes in recent twelvemonth , but the immense majority have been under 4.0 . This is already the 2nd 5.0 + quake to hit the region this class . Back in January , a swarm of 32 quakes struck northwestern United States Oklahoma in a 24 - hour flow .
expert saythe quakes are related to an growth in the disposition of waste water from crude and natural gaseous state boring . ATulsa World analysishas demonstrate that the volume of waste material piss that ’s being stored underground has leap more than 80 percent over the past six years , which also happens to concur with the state ’s sudden propensity to earthquakes . The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has already bring down confinement on the amount of water that can be injected in certain areas , but this latest seism could incite revisions .
[ Associated Press , Tulsa World ]
EarthquakesFrackingGeologyScience
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