Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake in Lincoln County, Oklahoma.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake at a depth of 5.0 km in northern Lincoln County, Oklahoma, slightly before 4.05 am local time (slightly before 10.05 am GMT) on Thursday 1 May 2014. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this Earthquake, but it was felt across much of northern and central Oklahoma.

The approximate location of the 1 May 2014 Lincoln 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 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 4.0 Earthquake in Logan County, Oklahoma.

 Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in Logan County, Oklahoma.

 Magnitude 3.0 Earthquake in Logan County, Oklahoma.

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Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake in Lincoln County, Wyoming.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake at a depth of 5.0 km in the northeast of Lincoln County, Wyoming, slightly before 11.10 am local time (slightly before 6.10 pm GMT) on Sunday 8 December 2013. The quake was felt across a wide area of west-central Wyoming, though there are no reports of any damage or casualties.

The approximate location of the 8 December 2013 Lincoln County Earthquake. Google Maps.

Wyoming typically suffers two or three moderate sized Earthquakes per year, though quakes large enough to cause significant damage are rare. The mountainous areas of the west of the state have a number of deeply buried faults where occasional movement occurs. This can be caused by movement around the Yellowstone Magma Chamber in the northeast of the state, an area that suffers more-or-less constant small tremors due to the movement of magma beneath the surface, but which seldom experiences larger quakes. The constant small movements around Yellowstone can lead to stress building up in rocks further away, leading to Earthquakes as the rocks release the strain by readjusting their positions, which can affect Wyoming as well as neighbouring Idaho and Montana. The same faults also suffer stress due to more distant rock movements, notably on the subduction zone on the American west coast.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events and the underlying structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you were in the area but did not, which is also useful information) then you can report it to the United States Geological Survey here.

See also Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake in Sweetwater County, southwest Wyoming, Magnitude 2.7 Earthquake in Yellowstone National Park, northwest Wyoming and Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.

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