Researchers Link Earthquakes in Texas to Fracking Process

Researchers at Southern Methodist University have linked a string of 2009 and 2010 earthquakes in Texas to the injection of fracking wastewater into the ground, according to a new study.

The researchers examined the group of more than 50 earthquakes that hit the area of Cleburne, Texas in 2009 and 2010, and found that they could have happened because of wastewater injection wells associated with fracking operations. Before 2008 the Fort Worth Basin of Texas had never experienced an earthquake.

This also probably isn’t the last time we’ll hear about the link between wastewater injection and earthquakes in Texas in particular.  Last month, North Texas was hit by more than 20 earthquakes, prompting calls for an investigation into a possible wastewater disposal link.

Researchers Link Earthquakes in Texas to Fracking Process