One of the strongest in the history ofearthquake in Oklahoma September 3, 2016. The magnitude of seismic shocks was 5.6 points. The earthquake in Oklahoma was recorded by the US Geological Survey. However, the public was not able to warn the public about it in time. What has led to such a serious seismic activity? What are the consequences of the earthquake in Oklahoma?
On the morning of September 3, 2016, about 7hours of the morning in the state of Oklahoma were recorded strong tremors. The epicenter of the phenomenon was the territory of 14 km from the city of Pawnee, which is the administrative center of the district. According to the researchers, the focus of seismic activity was formed at a depth of 6.6 km.
It is worth noting that there was an earthquake inOklahoma and other states. Underground shocks of various strengths were recorded throughout the Midwest, particularly in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Arkansas.
The seismic activity under consideration becamethe strongest in the US since November 2011. The earthquake in Oklahoma lasted a little over a minute. However, this was much longer than any known seismic activity, which was registered in the presented region earlier.
What was the result of the unexpected seismicactivity in the US? The earthquake in Oklahoma did not cause catastrophic destruction. As a result of the incident, only a few houses in the city of Pawnee were affected. In the remaining nearby settlements, the buildings remained intact.
The earthquake in Oklahoma led to the fact that one person was injured. The latter was taken to a hospital in the city of Pawnee with injuries of varying severity that did not carry the threat of life.
The main concern was a fairly closelocation of the epicenter of seismic activity to a nuclear power plant in the neighboring state of Nebraska. In spite of strong, unexpected subterranean persuasion, NPP workers managed to take timely actions aimed at preventing anthropogenic catastrophe.
In 2015, the National Geological SurveyThe United States has already warned of the possible occurrence of earthquakes in Oklahoma. The specialists of the institution carried out research, the results of which confirmed the relationship between the active mining of minerals in the region (oil and gas), the pumping of sewage into the ground and increased seismic activity.
Modern technologies of hydrocarbon extractionfrom deep layers of soil, it is assumed that injection of working fluids into injection wells at significant speeds. All this happens under great pressure. The implementation of these technological solutions made it possible to produce a real shale revolution in the USA.
Total team of the National Geological SurveyIt was possible to analyze the activity of 180 thousand injection wells. About 10% of them were in the territory of Oklahoma, where it was recorded the strongest earthquake. Scientists noted that the use of technologies for intensive production of hydrocarbons from the earth's crust is fraught with the emergence of large seismic shocks.
After the earthquake, the governorOklahoma State - Mary Fellin announced the introduction of an emergency in the district. For 30 days from the moment of the occurrence of the tremors, the consequences of the disaster had to be urgently liquidated.
Governor Fellin also ordered in urgentorder to carry out a campaign to close the mines and wells for storing sewage. Presumably, it was the waste liquids that were used during the active extraction of gas and oil from the earth's interior that provoked increased seismic activity in the region.
A total of 37 industrialwells that were actively exploited by gas workers and oil industry workers. Such radical solutions were implemented in Oklahoma, despite the fact that the state's economy largely depends on the energy sector, which provides jobs for 25% of the population of the district.
