Within the past week, there has been a considerable amount of seismic activity near Prague, Oklahoma which is about 44 miles east of Oklahoma City. Seismic activity in Oklahoma is not entirely uncommon, but what is very unusual was the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that hit five miles NW of Prague, Oklahoma. This earthquake was large enough to be felt in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, Illinois and Texas, and has been the largest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma. News sources state that fracking may be the cause of these most recent earthquakes. Could it be that these earthquakes in Oklahoma are a precursor to an even larger earthquake that may be triggered in the New Madrid fault zone or does Oklahoma have its own seismic activity history?
What is Fracking and Can it Cause Earthquakes?
According to OilGasGlossary.com fracking is a slang term refering to hydraulic fracturing which is, "An operation in which a specially blended liquid is pumped down a well and into a formation under pressure high enough to cause the formation to crack open, forming passages through which oil can flow into the wellbore."
Although there has been some assumptions that the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma may be due to hydraulic fracturing procedures, HuffingtonPost also states that there is no evidence yet so far to prove that these oil-mining procedures are indeed causing earthquakes. There has been no such connection between hydraulic fracturing and Oklahoma's most recent earthquakes, even though there are at least 181 oil drilling sites in Oklahoma near the epicenter of the 5.6 earthquake that occurred on November 5, 2011 at 10:53 pm.
Is the New Madrid Fault Zone to Blame?
What most Americans forget is that the New Madrid fault zone is coming to life. The New Madrid fault runs, "120 miles southward from the area of Charleston, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, through New Madrid and Caruthersville, following Interstate 55 to Blytheville and on down to Marked Tree, Arkansas. It crosses five state lines and cuts across the Mississippi River in three places and the Ohio River in two places." (St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management) It is the source of over two hundred earthquakes that occur annually.
Some scientists suggest that the next major earthquake that will occur in the New Madrid fault zone will happen more than 100 hundred years from now. The New Madrid fault zone may be triggered sooner than most believe, especially since Oklahoma has been having a considerable amount of earthquakes. There have been 24 earthquakes within the past week that have all occurred east of Oklahoma City.
At first glance, it may be easy to blame the New Madrid fault zone, but the New Madrid fault is not the true underlying cause. In fact, the recent seismic activity may be due to an ancient fault exactly where the earthquakes have been taking place. This ancient fault is known either as the Wilzetta fault line or the Seminole Uplift, and it may be responsible for much of Oklahoma's recent seismic activity.
Elisheva Weyers - My articles are written out of my genuine interest and not purely for monetary gain.
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