Oklahoma 5.6 Mag Earthquake - History & Updates

[Astronuc]

I was thinking last night that the 4.7 mag earthquake in Oklahoma was signficant, but there was just another larger one of 5.6 mag.

MAG    U TC DATE-TIME       LAT    LON   DEPTH    DISTANCE from LOCATION 
         y/m/d h:m:s        deg    deg     km  
3.2  2011/11/06 11:20:23  35.525 -96.883  5.0   3 km ( 2 mi)  NNE of Meeker, OK 
3.0  2011/11/06 11:16:20  35.523 -96.844  4.9   6 km ( 3 mi)  ENE of Meeker, OK 
3.4  2011/11/06 11:03:52  35.539 -96.825  5.0   8 km ( 5 mi)  S of Sparks, OK 
3.9  2011/11/06 10:52:35  35.567 -96.797  5.0   5 km ( 3 mi)  SSE of Sparks, OK 
4.0  2011/11/06 09:39:57  35.506 -96.865  5.0   3 km ( 2 mi)  ENE of Meeker, OK 
3.4  2011/11/06 09:22:04  35.585 -96.823  5.0   3 km ( 2 mi)  S of Sparks, OK 
2.7  2011/11/06 08:14:12  35.474 -96.794  5.0   7 km ( 4 mi)  NNE of Johnson, OK 
3.2  2011/11/06 07:32:40  35.544 -96.901  4.9   5 km ( 3 mi)  N of Meeker, OK 
3.8  2011/11/06 06:31:10  35.559 -96.874  5.0   7 km ( 4 mi)  NNE of Meeker, OK 
3.0  2011/11/06 04:54:00  35.540 -96.687  5.0   6 km ( 4 mi)  N of Prague, OK 
3.6  2011/11/06 04:03:41  35.554 -96.760  5.0   8 km ( 5 mi)  SE of Sparks, OK 
[COLOR="Red"]5.6  2011/11/06 03:53:10  35.537 -96.747  5.0   8 km ( 5 mi)  NW of Prague, OK[/COLOR]
3.6  2011/11/05 14:36:30  35.584 -96.789  4.9   4 km ( 2 mi)  SE of Sparks, OK 
3.4  2011/11/05 13:42:26  35.530 -96.766  5.0   9 km ( 5 mi)  NW of Prague, OK 
3.3  2011/11/05 11:24:15  35.521 -96.778  5.0   9 km ( 6 mi)  WNW of Prague, OK 
3.3  2011/11/05 09:12:11  35.591 -96.788  4.9   4 km ( 2 mi)  SE of Sparks, OK 
2.7  2011/11/05 07:50:42  35.559 -96.762  4.8   8 km ( 5 mi)  SE of Sparks, OK 
2.7  2011/11/05 07:44:34  35.488 -96.755  5.0   6 km ( 4 mi)  W of Prague, OK 
3.4  2011/11/05 07:27:20  35.566 -96.698  5.0   9 km ( 6 mi)  N of Prague, OK 
[COLOR="Red"]4.7  2011/11/05 07:12:45  35.553 -96.748  4.0   9 km ( 6 mi)  SE of Sparks, OK[/COLOR] 
2.2  2011/11/04 21:07:51  35.360 -92.270  6.2   5 km ( 3 mi)  WSW of Quitman, AR 
1.9  2011/11/04 19:21:27  35.359 -92.268  5.0   5 km ( 3 mi)  WSW of Quitman, AR 
2.4  2011/11/04 19:17:17  35.357 -92.261  5.9   5 km ( 3 mi)  SW of Quitman, AR 
2.0  2011/11/04 18:49:19  35.355 -92.262  5.5   5 km ( 3 mi)  SW of Quitman, AR 
2.1  2011/11/01 03:18:22  35.356 -92.271  6.0   6 km ( 3 mi)  WSW of Quitman, AR 
2.4  2011/11/01 02:53:05  35.355 -92.269  5.9   5 km ( 3 mi)  WSW of Quitman, AR

It bears watching in the near term.

Magnitude 5.6 - OKLAHOMA
2011 November 06 03:53:10 UTC
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/usb0006klz.php

These are also relatively shallow and can be very damaging to surface structures near the epicenter, or those on soft soil further away.


http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_oklahoma.html

http://www.ogs.ou.edu/homepage.php (Oklahoma Geological Survey)

Oklahoma earthquakes - http://www.okgeosurvey1.gov/

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Update (Nov 7) - Big quake follows increase in Oklahoma rumblings
http://news.yahoo.com/big-quake-follows-increase-oklahoma-rumblings-203947305.html

Oklahoma typically had about 50 earthquakes a year until 2009. Then the number spiked, and 1,047 quakes shook the state last year, prompting researchers to install seismographs in the area. Still, most of the earthquakes have been small.

The 5.6 mag earthquake was the largest in state's history.

 

[mp3car]

Have you looked at the OK activity since your last post (three years ago)?

About 3677 have happened just in 2014... As a matter of fact, a 3.9 or 4.1 (OGS vs. USGS) happened last night...

Since your last post, beginning November 8th, 2011, through this morning, 7826 EQs have occurred, going to January 2011 bumps it to 8974.

Of those 8974, 1091 of them have been less than 10 miles from my house, 703 of which were just in 2014. You may be thinking, what's the big deal about the 2s and low 3s... When they're that close, and shallow, you feel them, they'll wake you up, cause accelerated settling of your house, crack masonry work... Downright annoying, and sometimes a bit unnerving, especially for young kids... I have had something fall off a shelf twice already, and I've only lived here two years.

If you look back to 2000, you have:
2000-2005: av. 39, (8) 3.0+, Max=3.6
2006: 21, (3) 3.0+, Max=3.5
2007: 29, (1) 3.0+, Max=3.2
2008: 24, (2) 3.0+, Max=3.1
2009: 50, (20) 3.0+, Max=3.7
2010: 1061, (42) 3.0+, Max=4.4
2011: 1470, (67) 3.0+, Max=5.6
2012 980, (40) 3.0+, Max=4.4
2013: 2847, (109) 3.0+, Max=4.5
2014: 3676, (383) 3.0+, Max=4.5
2014 above is year-to-date; projected (using prior 3m) is a total 4822, with 528 of 3.0 or above, max=??

NOTE: This is using data from the Oklahoma Geological Survey, not USGS.

I'm guessing you've seen the research that it looks like the consensus is that waste water injection from oil and NG activities is very likely to blame, "induced seismicity" is the term that is being used... If not, google it... There have been countless articles and published papers about it...

 

[Astronuc]

I'd forgotten that this thread/post was here. Yes, I've heard of the increase in earthquakes in OK.

Those year by year number certainly indicate an upward trend.

I've experienced a few in NY and CA. I felt one in the basement of my home in NY. It was about 2.5 or so, and it felt like someone hit the house with a big hammer. It was loud, but there was no significant displacement.

Certainly 2-3 mag is unpleasant if shallow and near one's house.

I was visiting a friend in CA near San Diego when we experienced the waves from a 6.3 quake that was 60 miles away and on the other side of a mountain range. I was sitting on a couch, which violently shook sideways, then up and down. I was amazed at the energy involved - to think the amount of mass that had to experience those vibrations. The noise outside sounded like a jet aircraft deploying reverse thrusters.

 

[mp3car]

Exactly... When they are really close, like maybe less than 15mi, you can often feel the 3s. The 2's not as much. But when they're 2mi away, you can feel mid and upper 2s sometimes...

They are extremely localized. They occur in swarms, as you can see by looking at how many were less than 10mi from me. In 2014 so far, 703 out of 3676 total have been less than 10mi. I am about 2mi from one swarm, 6mi from another, and 10mi from a 3rd. But then there are a few more major swarms, one about 50mi and one maybe 35. There are probably at least 6-10 swarm areas, but after having a few weeks of them, they'll stop. But they are still doing wastewater injecting pretty much 24/7 I believe. And when they swarm, you can have hundreds in just a few weeks, if it lasts that long. They come and go; sometimes you have a 1-2sq mile area get >10/day for a few weeks... As with most people on this forum, I like science and math. I have done some playing with the numbers and found some very interesting things. I will try to start a new thread about it tomorrow!

 

[LudusRex]

It is important for scientists to monitor and study these events to better understand the causes and potential hazards associated with them. Oklahoma is not typically known for frequent seismic activity, so this increase in earthquakes is concerning and warrants further investigation. It is possible that human activities such as fracking or wastewater disposal could be contributing to the seismic activity, but more research is needed to confirm this. In the meantime, it is important for residents and officials to be aware of the potential risks and take precautions to mitigate damage and ensure public safety.