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Oklahoma’s Earthquake ‘Swarm’ In One Chart

Magnitude 2.0 and greater Oklahoma earthquakes from 1990-2014.
EQ Charts

EQ Charts has created a really great visual of Oklahoma’s earthquake “swarm.” The chart was built with data from the U.S. Geological Survey, and shows quakes of 2.0-magnitude or greater. Most people can feel earthquakes that are 3.0-magnitude or greater.

Earthquakes have increased exponentially in Oklahoma, a phenomenon federal and university seismologists have linked to disposal wells used by the oil and gas industry.

The Sooner State has been seismically active historically, but Central Oklahoma’s 2009-2014 earthquake “swarm” is unusual because, as USGS seismologist Bill Leith writes, the quakes don’t seem “to be due to typical, random fluctuations in natural seismicity rates.”

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Joe was a founding reporter for StateImpact Oklahoma (2011-2019) covering the intersection of economic policy, energy and environment, and the residents of the state. He previously served as Managing Editor of Urban Tulsa Weekly, as the Arts & Entertainment Editor at Oklahoma Gazette and worked as a Staff Writer for The Oklahoman. Joe was a weekly arts and entertainment correspondent for KGOU from 2007-2010. He grew up in Bartlesville, Okla. and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.
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