Seismic Denial-Fracking (Mission, Converse, Howe: earthquake, salary, moving)

[UnfairPark]

Seismic denial

WHY TEXAS WON'T ADMIT FRACKING WASTEWATER IS CAUSING EARTHQUAKES?

Why can't we settle this debate and move on?

[serger]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Seismic denial

WHY TEXAS WON'T ADMIT FRACKING WASTEWATER IS CAUSING EARTHQUAKES?

Why can't we settle this debate and move on?

Funny things is, even Oklahoma admits it...

[Katana49]

Yep. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that when an area has never had earthquakes, you start fracking, and they start happening in the same area immediately after, that there's a connection.

Sigh.

I'm getting really tired of people in government and industry not having at least two brain cells to rub together.

[photostoresheila]

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

― Upton Sinclair

[loveandcoffee]

Because money.

[aggie972]

"The notion that those dollars would influence me to do anything other than what I thought was the right thing to do is somewhat preposterous." -RYAN SITTON ,TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER

How do people say stuff like this with a straight face? It would be like saying that the notion that a bear ****s in the woods is just conjecture.

[HP48G]

Originally Posted by aggie972

How do people say stuff like this with a straight face? It would be like saying that the notion that a bear ****s in the woods is just conjecture.

Well the people in Texas seem to agree with him, since they keep voting for the party which nominates corporate sponsored guys (like this).

[aggie972]

Originally Posted by HP48G

Well the people in Texas seem to agree with him, since they keep voting for the party which nominates corporate sponsored guys (like this).

I bet most wouldn't agree with that actual statement. I wonder how many people who punch straight ticket pay any attention to the railroad commissioner line, and of those who do, how many know that the position is responsible for O&G regulation.

[BongoBungo]

The first comment in that article is something everyone needs to read because of how true it is. Fracking can cause minor earthquakes in areas with low seismic activity like Texas and Oklahoma, but the damage is usually very minimal, but this might actually be a good thing because it releases some tension in the faults, preventing more major earthquakes.

Conversely, when you frack in an area with high amounts of seismic activity, the faults there are already moving and releasing tension, so fracking will have minimal effects on seismic activity.

Human activity, including wastewater injection, can induce earthquakes.

However, the amount of energy put into the earth by fracking and wastewater injection is far, far less than the energy of an earthquake..........Moderator cut: too long a quote, 1-2 sentences and link

[madrone2k]

I think BongoBungo makes a good point. Small earthquakes do relax stress that could otherwise build up and lead to more powerful quakes. And, it also seems to be that some geologic locales are more susceptible to human-induced quakes by fluid injection.

However, despite my opinion on those particulars, I think that the article referenced was very useful, despite a few minor quibbles i might have about it (I have graduate degrees in geophysics, but did not specialize in the aspects related to earthquake studies).

In the geophysics community, it has long been accepted that water injection -- in some areas -- can lead to increased seismicity. In some companies, management hears and accepts the opinion of its technical staff. Apparently, there are still other companies in which the management either does not hear or does not want to take heed of the technical experts. For those companies, I have no sympathy ...