Earthquake in Oklahoma: causes, consequences

One of the strongest in the history was the earthquake in Oklahoma on September 3, 2016. The magnitude of seismic shocks was 5.6 points. The earthquake in Oklahoma was recorded by the US Geological Survey. However, the public was not able to warn the public about it in time. What has led to such a serious seismic activity? What are the consequences of the earthquake in Oklahoma?

What happened in Oklahoma?

On the morning of September 3, 2016, around 7 am in the state of Oklahoma , strong earthquakes were recorded. The epicenter of the phenomenon was the territory of 14 km from the city of Pawnee, which is the administrative center of the district. According to the researchers, the focus of seismic activity was formed at a depth of 6.6 km.

It is worth noting that there was an earthquake in Oklahoma and other states. Underground shocks of varying strength were recorded throughout the Midwest, particularly in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Arkansas.

The seismic activity under consideration has become the strongest in the US since November 2011. The earthquake in Oklahoma lasted a little over a minute. However, this was much longer than any known seismic activity, which was registered in the presented region earlier.

Effects

What was the result of unexpected seismic activity in the US? The earthquake in Oklahoma did not cause catastrophic destruction. As a result of the incident, only a few residential buildings in the city of Pawnee were affected. In the remaining surrounding settlements, the buildings remained intact.

The earthquake in Oklahoma led to the fact that one person was injured. The latter was taken to a hospital in the city of Pawnee with injuries of varying severity that did not carry the threat of life.

The main concern was the relatively close location of the epicenter of seismic activity to a nuclear power plant in the neighboring state of Nebraska. Despite strong, unexpected underground persuasion, NPP workers managed to take timely actions aimed at preventing anthropogenic disaster.

Causes of an earthquake

In 2015, the United States National Geological Survey has already warned of the possible occurrence of earthquakes in Oklahoma. The specialists of the institution carried out research, the results of which confirmed the relationship between the active extraction of minerals in the region (oil and gas), the pumping of sewage into the ground and increased seismic activity.

Modern technologies for extracting hydrocarbons from deep soil layers suggest injection of working fluids into injection wells at considerable speeds. All this happens under great pressure. The implementation of these technological solutions made it possible to produce a real shale revolution in the USA.

In total, the team of the National Geological Survey managed to analyze the activity of 180 thousand injection wells. Approximately about 10% of them were in the territory of Oklahoma, where a strong earthquake was recorded. Scientists noted that the use of technologies for intensive production of hydrocarbons from the earth's crust is fraught with the emergence of large seismic shocks.

Actions of the authorities

After the earthquake, the governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fellin, announced the introduction of an emergency regime in the district. For 30 days from the moment of the appearance of the tremors, the consequences of the disaster had to be urgently liquidated.

Governor Fellin also ordered an urgent campaign to close the mines and wells for storing sewage. Presumably, it was the waste liquids that were used during the active extraction of gas and oil from the earth's interior that provoked increased seismic activity in the region.

In total, 37 industrial wells were mothballed, which were actively exploited by gas workers and oil industry workers. Such radical solutions were implemented in Oklahoma, despite the fact that the state's economy is largely dependent on the energy sector, which provides jobs for 25% of the district's population.