Why Does the Earth Quake in Arkansas?

Can the oil and gas companies cause the earth to quake? It appears that indeed they may. Statistical evidence points to a strong connection between underground disposal of toxic water (commonly known as fracking) and an increase in seismic activity in central Arkansas. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquake activity has increased by 95% since early in 2009. The practice of fracking began in April of 2009. Certainly a correlation can be drawn. Scientists, while reluctant to point the finger per se, admit that further investigation is warranted. With 412 companies connected to Arkansas's oil and gas industry, (Liu and Kaplan) scientists will no doubt proceed with caution before drawing a definitive conclusion in light of the current economic climate.

Fracking

Is fracking causing earth quakes ? According to two seismologist, earth quakes in Arkansas have been caused by the pressure of pumping salt water into the ground to lubricate the rock to release the natural gas and oil from the ground. This process is believed, according to location by the USGS ,to have a direct correlation to the causes for the quakes.

To drill or not to drill

Underground natural gas drilling has Arkansans shaking in their shoes, literally. Fracking, which is when water is shot in the ground at a high pressure to loosen rock and extract natural gas, is causing swarms of earthquakes in Arkansas. Saltwater is a common by-product of the fracking process, and the easiest way to dispose of the product is to inject it back in the ground. Steve Horton, an earthquake specialist at the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Info said "Ninety percent of these earthquakes that have happened since 2009 have been within 6 kilometers of these salt water disposal wells" (Liu and Kaplan). Horton also pointed out that a similar situation occurred in West Virginia."That isn't a place where you usually have earthquakes," he told FoxNews.com. The West Virginia Oil and Gas Commission made companies cut back on their injection rate and pressure and in doing so the number of quakes lessened dramatically. The correlation between the areas of natural gas drilling and the number of quakes in the area of the drilling can't simply be dismissed as coincidence.

Earthquakes in Arkansas May Be Man-Made, Experts Warn

As it is, people "need" oil, and other natural resources that the USA has grown up on in the past 100 years. It comes to a line where we need to balance out whether it is a good thing to drill for natural gas when that drilling may be causing earthquakes.
The Corrilation between drilling and the earthqaukes seems to be pretty previlant. It seems that everywhere drilling occurs, there are residual earthquakes in the area. This is supported by scientific evidence as well as intuitive evidence. It makes sense, if there are no earthquakes before, and then after drilling there are quakes, quakes are likely causes or at least agitated by the drilling going on.
The other hand is, that these quakes have all been mild and caused little to no damage, and in an economy as shifty an weak as it is right now, it makes one wonder what is the lesser of two evils.

Is responsibility for earthquakes being aimed at wastewater companies?

In the article "Earthquakes in Arkansas May Be Man-Made, Experts Warn, " on Fox News.com, earthquake specialist Horton and seismologist Mahdi both suggest that pumping salt water into the ground could contribute to the increase in earthquakes in the Greenbrier, AR area. The article further links the occurrence of salt water disposal to increased earthquake activity in areas as geographically distant as Cleburne, Texas and West Virginia. Later in the article, a few drilling companies are mentioned, but two companies, Clarita Operating and Deep-Six Water Disposal Services, are identified as those which"operate for-profit wastewater disposal wells in the [Greenbrier] area." Because the last new fact mentioned in the article is the identification of these two companies, I wonder if one of the goals of the article was to divert the blame away from the drillers and towards the smaller (read: fewer employees) companies which handle the waste water.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/01/fracking-earthquakes-arkansas-man-experts-warn/#ixzz1TQWVqU2I

Domestic Energy Source vs. Public Safety

Recent increases of earthquake activity in Arkansas raise many questions regarding the benefits of obtaining a domestic energy source verses the safety of Arkansas residents. The practice of "fracking" in order to release natural gas is profitable for the state, but the effects on the state may go further than the recent earthquakes that have been plaguing residents for past months.

"Salt water is a common by-product of the fracking process, and the simplest solution is to inject the toxic wastewater back into the ground," (Liu & Kaplan). Not only has the process been connected by many to the recent escalation in earthquakes; it also may be contaminating the state's water supply.

Where the benefits outweigh the consequences is an important issue that should be addressed before the consequences get out of hand.

The Shaking Truth of Arkansas Quakes

I believe the earthquakes in Arkansas are associated with fracking. According to foxnews.com there have been no earthquakes in Greenbrier, Arkansas since the oil wells were removed. Many of the earthquakes were close together and happened within a short time of one another. Most of these quakes were weak and did not cause any injury or damage. This is why I believe that these quakes have been caused by man made oil wells instead of strong fault lines.

Authors Make Effective Argument, Even Though One-Sided

Even though the authors presented only one side of the issue about whether fracking causes small earthquakes, they did make their point and support it with facts. Authors Liu and Kaplan cited seismologists, geologists, and other experts and specialists in their evidence that fracking could cause small earthquakes in the area/s of drilling. They used Cleburne, Texas and West Virginia as examples of the connection between the two. Earthquake specialist, Steve Horton, was quoted as saying "Ninety percent of these earthquakes that have happened since 2009 have been within 6 kilometers of these salt water disposal wells."
It is obvious from the article that not all scientific specialists agree with the conclusion drawn by Horton. "... there is still little consensus about whether the practice is contributing to the quakes." (authors Liu and Kaplan).

Just Earthquakes? Or more...

Current drilling in Arkansas may lead to more than minor earthquakes. The "fracking" process, which is part of drilling for natural gas, results in salt water as a by-product. According to Fox News, this by-product is referred to as "toxic wastewater." I never thought of salt water as being labeled toxic. That makes me wonder if our water table might be affected as well. Water, a natural resource of our state, is easily contaminated. Any liquid dispersed into the ground will seep into our drinking water eventually. Well-water in the region might be instantly contaminated. That would stink! On a more positive note, four hundred-twelve companies are busily working in the oil and gas industry in our state (FoxNews). Consequently, a multitude of jobs are available to our residents. Arkansas is a state under economic stress and the extra income never hurts our parents! The drilling for natural gas in Arkansas has positive and negative aspects other than earthquakes.