DisastersScientists try to find cause of early January Texas quakes
A scientific team is adding twenty-two seismographs to an area in northern Texas after thirteen small earthquakes rattled the region on 1 January and on throughout the week. Despite the ongoing concern and the search for the cause of the tremors, the research team reassured residents that those worried about lots of little events leading to a bigger one can probably rest easy. “There are no large active faults in Texas, just smaller-type faults,” said geophysicist John Bellini. “Because of that, it’s not likely that Texas would have a large earthquake.
A scientific team is adding twenty-two seismographs to an area in northern Texas after thirteen small earthquakes rattled the region on 1 January and on throughout the week.
As the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports , a team from Southern Methodist University, which has been studying quakes in the area since 2008, is using quake monitors to survey the areas near the city Irving, in Dallas County. Some had initially speculated that wastewater injection wells for natural gas, otherwise known as “fracking,” could have been responsible.
Dr. Craig Pearson, a seismologist of the state Railroad Commission, disagrees.
“There are no oil and gas disposal wells in Dallas County,” he said in an e-mail last Wednesday.
Irving City manager Chris Hillman added that, “Two natural gas wells were drilling in 2009 and fracked in 2010. One remained inactive and the second stopped producing in October 2012. But the city doesn’t allow wastewater disposal wells, so the wastewater was trucked out instead of being injected into the ground.”
All of this has led the seismology team to look for answers. The additional seismographs are expected to shed light on what is happening as future tremors and quakes occur.
“We know the seismic activity has concerned residents and we understand they have lots of questions, as do we,” Hillman said in a statement.
The minor quakes were felt all across the area, with the largest being a magnitude 3.6 at 3:10 p.m. that Tuesday. While no injuries or damage were reported, the events did shock many residents, flooding call centers with emergency calls and temporarily shutting down critical infrastructures.
Detective James McLellan estimated that dispatchers received about 100 earthquake-related 911 calls that Tuesday afternoon, with even more that evening and into Wednesday.
“The 911 system was overwhelmed,” he said, “And operators were quickly trying to reach callers with a true emergency.”
The Irving school district conducted “drop, cover, hold on” earthquake drills at all 38 campuses not long after.
“I got scared because it was strong,” said resident Aracely Vasquez. “Why is it happening? It never happened before.”
Despite the ongoing concern and the search for the cause of the tremors, the research team reassured residents that those worried about lots of little events leading to a bigger one can probably rest easy, according to a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey.
“There are no large active faults in Texas, just smaller-type faults,” said geophysicist John Bellini. “Because of that, it’s not likely that Texas would have a large earthquake.
