The United States Geological Survey recorded
a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake at a depth of 6.6 km 14 to the northwest of Pawnee City in Pawnee County County,
Oklahoma, slightly after 7.00 am local time (slightly after noon GMT) on Saturday 3 September 2016. There are no reports
of any damage or injuries associated with this Earthquake, but it was
felt across a large area the central United States, from New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana in the south to South Dakota, Minesota and Wisconsin in the north.
The approximate location of the 3 September 2016 Pawnee Earthquake. Google.
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 quakes can help geologists to understand these
events and the rock structures that cause them. If you felt this quake
(or if you were in the area but did not, which is also useful
information) you can report it to the USGS here.
See also...
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...
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...
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...
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