SocraticGadfly: USGS links quakes, fracking

April 08, 2012

USGS links quakes, fracking

The United States Geological Survey has officially connected rising numbers of earthquakes in certain parts of the country to rising fracking for oil and gas.

Now, there's three or four notable caveats to this.
1. The correlation is, to date, still statistical but not causal;
2. The severity of the earthquakes has not been that great;
3. Even a causal correlation is likely to not be strong.

Nonetheless, it should give us all further food for thought. Including the Obama Administration's Department of the Interior and relevant state departments.

But, it likely won't. The Oklahoma state seismologist, per the story, is among those pushing back.

Beyond the story are other issues, though. Microquakes might explain fracking water's migration into drinking water sources, among other things.

No comments: