Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake in Logan County, Oklahoma.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake at a depth of 4 km slightly to the north of Crescent City in Logan County County, Oklahoma, slightly before 11.55 pm local time on Monday 28 March 2016 (slightly before 4.55 am on Tuesday 29 March GMT). There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this Earthquake, but it was felt across a large area of north-central Oklahoma.

The approximate location of the 15 November 2015 Woods County Earthquake. Google Maps.

Oklahoma is naturally prone to Earthquakes, particularly in the southwest of the state, near the Meers Fault Zone, but since 2009 has suffered a sharp increase in the number of small quakes in the central and northeast parts of the state. While most of these quakes have been quite small, a few have been large enough to potentially cause problems, and any unexplained increase in seismic activity is a cause for concern. 

In a paper published in the journal Geology on 26 March 2013, a team of geologists led by Katie Keranen of the ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Oklahoma linked one of the largest of these quakes, a Magnitude 5.7 event in November 2011 which caused damage locally and was felt across 17 states, to the practice of pumping liquids (usually brine) into injection wells, which is common in the hydrocarbons industry and used to displace oil or gas, which can then be extracted from nearby extraction wells (where this is done in bursts at pressure to intentionally break up rock it is called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking). Significantly they suggested that the practice could lead to quakes years or even decades after the actual injection.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organization Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

 See also...

Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake in Woods County, Oklahoma.                                              The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake at a depth of 5 km in...

Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.                                     The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake at a depth of 5 km in northern Noble County, Oklahoma, before 7.20 am local...

Oklahoma tornadoes kill one, injure dozens.

One man has died and at least 24 other have been injured following an outbreak of tornadoes across Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas on Thursday 26 March 2015. The dead man is reported to have died while trying to aid his injured father at the River...

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