Fracking Likely Cause of Ohio Earthquakes

Geologists have for the first time linked earthquakes deep under Ohio’s Appalachian Mountains to hydraulic fracturing, leading the state to issue strict permit conditions Friday on the gas extraction process.

Researchers found that five small tremors last month near Youngstown, Ohio were likely the result of the injection of sand and water that occurs during the hydraulic fracturing — or “fracking” — process, the Associated Press reports.  Fracking involves injecting rocks with pressurized water or other liquids in an effort to extract gas which can be turned into usable fuel.

Because the geology of each shale formation is different, the discovery in Ohio may not apply everywhere across the country.  However, other instances of fracking causing small earthquakes have been recorded elsewhere, including in Oklahoma, England, and British Columbia, Canada.

Fracking Likely Cause of Ohio Earthquakes