JDJCSET | Our Global Environment: Past, Present and Future - Geosciences Seminar
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Environmental Geology
Minor
Organizational Communication
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Haluk Cetin, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
The purpose of this project is to show the dramatic increase of earthquakes that have occurred in Oklahoma over the past eight years that have been correlated to fracking in the area. Starting in 2009, before fracking took place in Oklahoma, there were a total of 33 earthquakes throughout the whole year. In 2010, when fracking began in Oklahoma, the number of earthquakes spiked to over 100 in one year. The number of earthquakes grew over the years and in 2015 there were over 2,000. Data from 2016 were also used but only through the month of September, the year 2016 was used because fracking has stopped being used in the state due to the earthquakes. Along with the sheer increase in the number of earthquakes, their depths from which they have occurred have also increased during this eight year period. This means that the earthquakes went from being relatively shallow before fracking to earthquakes occurring deeper in the Earth after fracking started injecting waste water down deep into the Earth. A correlation can be drawn between these two events to add to the accumulating data pointing directly to fracking being the cause of these earthquakes in Oklahoma.
Location
Classroom 211 & Front-South Lobby, Waterfield Library
Start Date
18-11-2016 12:00 AM
End Date
18-4-2016 12:00 AM
Affiliations
Geosciences
Included in
Tracking Earthquake Frequency and Intensity in Oklahoma
Classroom 211 & Front-South Lobby, Waterfield Library
The purpose of this project is to show the dramatic increase of earthquakes that have occurred in Oklahoma over the past eight years that have been correlated to fracking in the area. Starting in 2009, before fracking took place in Oklahoma, there were a total of 33 earthquakes throughout the whole year. In 2010, when fracking began in Oklahoma, the number of earthquakes spiked to over 100 in one year. The number of earthquakes grew over the years and in 2015 there were over 2,000. Data from 2016 were also used but only through the month of September, the year 2016 was used because fracking has stopped being used in the state due to the earthquakes. Along with the sheer increase in the number of earthquakes, their depths from which they have occurred have also increased during this eight year period. This means that the earthquakes went from being relatively shallow before fracking to earthquakes occurring deeper in the Earth after fracking started injecting waste water down deep into the Earth. A correlation can be drawn between these two events to add to the accumulating data pointing directly to fracking being the cause of these earthquakes in Oklahoma.