Are Oil and Gas Industries Behind the Rare Texas Earthquakes? (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by Theresa , Friday, January 09, 2015, 08:10

Scientists probe injection wells, with possible ties to fracking, in search for cause.

A rare series of earthquakes in northern Texas has residents asking if oil and gas activities are responsible for the shaking, which has left people rattled but did not cause significant damage or injuries.

A series of nine earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 1.6 to 3.6 shook the Dallas region over a period of less than 24 hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The shaking was felt in Dallas, Irving, and surrounding towns. Residents of those areas have flooded Twitter with accusations that the quakes were caused by oil and gas activity.

Scientists say they won't know the cause of the temblors for perhaps a year, but that it's possible industrial activities could have played a role. A scientific study published this week concluded that several small earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio, in March were caused by fracking activities near a fault.

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