Oklahoma records eighth moderate earthquake for the week

A duo of moderate earthquakes shook northern Oklahoma Saturday, bringing the total of quakes registering a 3.0 magnitude or greater across the state to eight on the week. 

A 4.4 magnitude quake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey at 4:20 a.m. about 18 miles southwest of Medford and about 100 miles northwest of Cushing.

Cushing is where the world's most important crude oil storage hub is located and it is used to settle futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Bob Noltensmeyer, Cushing Emergency Manager, said he had not received reports of significant damage although there were "shattered nerves."

"This one was pretty strong," he said. "The whole house shook."

It was one of the stronger temblors the earthquake-prone state has had this year according to U.S. Geological Survey seismologist George Choy. Choy told The Guardian it had all the hallmarks of an induced quake, indicating that it was triggered by the injection of drilling wastewater underground.

A 4.5 magnitude quake was recorded at 5:03 p.m. Saturday about one mile northwest of Cushing.

Choy said this seems to be part of an ongoing wave of induced quakes. According to Oklahoma Geological Survey records, Oklahoma has already experienced nearly 700 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or larger this year. In 2009, there were 20 earthquakes that met that criteria. Saturday’s moderate-sized quakes bring the total of magnitude-3.0 or larger quakes this week to eight. The U.S.G.S. also reported a 3.7 magnitude quake about 13 miles southwest of Medford at 10:20 a.m. and a 3.0 magnitude temblor one mile northwest of Cushing at 5:20 p.m. There was also a magnitude 2.9 earthquake recorded at 7:53 a.m. five miles east of McLoud in central Oklahoma.

Norman resident Alonzo Stephenson said he believes fracking plays a big role in the quakes. He moved from California to Oklahoma in 2007. Californians are no strangers to earthquakes, but Stephenson didn’t expect Oklahoma to be a hot bed for seismic activity.

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