(Natural Blaze) A new analysis of historical seismic data led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that earthquake activity in West Texas near the city of Pecos has increased dramatically since 2009.
Related Fracking Study Shows Toxic Chemical Exposure 2,000 Feet From Drilling Sites
by Staff Writer, November 4th, 2019
The study, published Nov. 4 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, is important because it leverages old, unmined data to track seismic activity over nearly 20 years — much further back than other studies — to show that activity has increased during the past decade in an area of the Permian Basin that is being heavily developed for oil and gas.
Although researchers have generally thought that to be true, the statewide TexNet earthquake monitoring system has been gathering data since only 2017, making it impossible to definitely determine when the cluster of seismic activity around Pecos really began.
The researchers were able to extend the seismic record of the area by turning to the older TXAR system near Lajitas, Texas, about 150 miles to the south. TXAR is an array of 10 seismographs installed in the 1990s by scientists at Southern Methodist University (SMU) to help track nuclear testing across the world, said lead author Cliff Frohlich, a senior research scientist emeritus at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG).
“Especially for these West Texas earthquakes, we would like to get some information about when they started,” Frohlich said. “I really saw this as a way to bridge the gap before TexNet.”
Buy Book Fracking America: Sacrificing Health and the Environment for Short-Term Economic Benefit
The TXAR system is some distance from Pecos, but Frohlich said the equipment is highly sensitive and that the area is remote and seismically very quiet, making the system perfect for picking up vibrations from explosions across the world or from earthquakes 150 miles away.
Frohlich and SMU scientist Chris Hayward developed a method to derive the earthquake data from the international data TXAR collects and build an earthquake catalog for the Delaware Basin near Pecos from 2000 to 2017.
By analyzing the data, scientists were able to document more than 7,000 seismic events near Pecos that were determined by the team to be earthquakes. Multiple events first started occurring in 2009, when 19 earthquakes of at least magnitude 1 were documented. The rate increased over time, with more than 1,600 earthquakes of magnitude 1 or greater in 2017. Most were so small that no one felt them.
Buy Book Poison Spring: The Secret History of Pollution and the EPA
The study shows a correlation between earthquake activity in the area and an increase in oil and gas activity, but it does not make an effort to directly tie the two together as other studies have done.
“West Texas now has the highest seismicity rates in the state,” said co-author and SMU Associate Professor Heather DeShon. “What remained uncertain is when the earthquakes actually started. This study addresses that.”
Buy Book Microplastic Pollutants — Comprehensive Review of a Modern-Day Pollution Problem
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
Corruption is endemic to our world. Organizations that gain the trust of the people misuse that trust and are rarely brought to justice. The people have a valid right to know of the activities of its public servants so as to dethrone them once malfeasance or wrongdoing has been identified. The preceding article highlights corruption within public service institutions, revealing a breach of trust with respect to their lawful mandate to occupy said office. It is critically important for the evolution of society that individuals become aware of corruption, so as to unite together and declare grievances in an effort to correct the situation. When those grievances aren’t recognized by those in office, the people now have a valid right to remove the lawless individuals in these positions of power so as to restore law and order. All of this can only be possible individuals to gain awareness of the corruption at hand and begin the process of forming actions groups capable of issuing lawful rebukes. If done properly, the forces that oversee the realms of men will rally to support the people.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
Stillness in the Storm Editor’s note: Did you find a spelling error or grammar mistake? Send an email to [email protected], with the error and suggested correction, along with the headline and url. Do you think this article needs an update? Or do you just have some feedback? Send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for reading.
Source:
Leave a Reply