A strong earthquake rocked Oklahoma Saturday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey's initial estimate places the quake at a magnitude 5.1, while the Oklahoma Geological Survey estimates 4.8.
Why State And Federal Agencies Record Different Oklahoma Earthquake Numbers
The temblor is the largest on record in the state since the 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Prague in November 2011. Saturday's tremor happened shortly after 11 a.m., centered about 17 miles northwest of Fairview.
The OGS says it had 68 reports from people who felt the earthquake in the first 15 minutes after it happened. So far there are no reports of injuries or damage. The agency says aftershocks are likely, but the possibility of one being larger than the initial earthquake is only about 5 percent.
Steve Foster, the emergency manager for Woods County, said no injuries or major damage were reported from the intense Saturday quake or its aftershocks.
“Yeah, we’re holding in there,” Foster said. “It shook and rattled a bunch of windows, I think, in everyone’s stores and around everybody’s houses, but that’s about it.”
Later this week the Oklahoma Corporation Commission will detail a new plan to reduce injection volumes at more than 200 wells over 5,000 square miles.
Scientists have linked Oklahoma's recent earthquakes to wastewater disposal practices by the oil and gas industry, and there are a handful of wells nearby, according to the OGS and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
From The Oklahoman:
A clerk at the Fairview Love's Country Store said there were no injuries and no damage in the store. The USGS website shows people as far north as Manhattan, Kansas, and as far south as Wichita Falls, Texas, reported feeling the earthquake. The USGS reported another earthquake north of Fairview, a magnitude 3.9, just 10 minutes later.
Exploring The Link Between Earthquakes And Oil And Gas Disposal Wells
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