Texas has seen four minor earthquakes ranging from magnitudes 2.6 to 2.8, occurring near Toyah and Van Horn, with no reported damages or injuries. The tremors, detected by the US Geological Survey, are likely linked to induced seismicity from oil and gas activities, especially wastewater injection that increases underground pressure. A 2022 study highlighted that 68% of quakes above magnitude 1.5 were related to these operations. Dr. Alexandros Savvaidis warned that increased drilling could lead to more significant seismic events, particularly from deep injection wells.
'Deep injection wells, in particular, are linked to higher-magnitude earthquakes,' Dr Savvaidis told KMID. 'Whereas shallower injections seem to be less hazardous in terms of large seismic events.'
A 2022 study by the University of Texas at Austin concluded that 68 percent of Texas quakes above magnitude 1.5 were 'highly associated' with oil and gas production.
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