There's Been a Huge Burst of Earthquakes in a Part of Ohio That Has Never Had Them - PolicyMic

Last month, the state of Ohio shut down Hilcorp Energy's major fracking operation near the Pennsylvania border after five earthquakes occurred over the course of two days, including one that reached magnitude 3. No earthquakes had ever been reported in the area, located near the Carbon Limestone Landfill in Poland, Ohio.

Now, scientists say they have evidence that links the quakes directly to Hilcorp Energy's fracking operations. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources claimed in a statement that their scientists "believe the sand and water injected into the well during the hydraulic fracturing process may have increased pressure on an unknown microfault in the area," and have taken immediate action to shut down seven wells. The department has issued new requirements that wells drilling within three miles of a known underground geologic fault line or any location with a measured 2.0 magnitude or greater seismic event since 1999 be equipped with seismic monitors.

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PolicyMic's Nina Ippolito reported in November on the rise in seismic activity across the U.S. as reported in the United States Geological Survey's "Man-Made Earthquakes Update," which included the below map of small (3.0 magnitude) and large (4.0 magnitude) earthquakes. Humans are generally capable of sensing earthquakes of at least 3.0. The results were astonishing — while there "were a mere 21 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 in the central and eastern United States between 1967 and 2000, there were over 300 such earthquakes from just 2010 to 2012."

There's Been a Huge Burst of Earthquakes in a Part of Ohio That Has Never Had Them - PolicyMic