Shaking from Louisiana Earthquake Today Likely from Fracking

The epicenter of the earthquakes this week have been located at the dots on this map in northwestern Louisiana inside the colored concentric circles. Image: USGS

A moderate earthquake struck northwestern Louisiana this morning, jolting people from their bed. Over two dozen reported they felt the shaking to USGS via their “Did you feel it?” online reporting tool. The 3:04 am earthquake struck near Mooringsport, Louisiana and struck from a depth of 5 km; it was rated a magnitude 3.1 event. This is one of a series of earthquakes to rock the area in recent days and geologists say it’s likely due to fracking or oil/gas relates processes in the region.

The updated model shows areas in red with the greatest chances of seeing a damaging earthquake over the next 100 years. Image: USGS — The updated model shows areas in red with the greatest chances of seeing a damaging earthquake over the next 100 years. Louisiana is not in an area prone to significant quakes. Image: USGS

Fracking-generating earthquakes have been a concern in places like Oklahoma and could also become problematic for Louisiana. Beginning in 2009, Oklahoma experienced a surge in seismicity according to USGS. “This surge was so large that its rate of magnitude 3 and larger earthquakes exceeded California’s from 2014 through 2017,” writes USGS in a report analyzing the increase in seismicity here. “While these earthquakes have been induced by oil and gas related process, few of these earthquakes were induced by fracking. The largest earthquake known to be induced by hydraulic fracturing in Oklahoma was a M3.6 earthquakes in 2019. The largest known fracking induced earthquake in the United States was a M4.0 earthquake that occurred in Texas in 2018. The majority of earthquakes in Oklahoma are caused by the industrial practice known as “wastewater disposal”. Wastewater disposal is a separate process in which fluid waste from oil and gas production is injected deep underground far below ground water or drinking water aquifers. In Oklahoma over 90% of the wastewater that is injected is a byproduct of oil extraction process and not waste frack fluid.”

Each color dot reflects oil/gas production sites, many of which are fracking related, across Louisiana and nearby offshore waters. Image: Fractracker Alliance

Over the last 4 days there have been 5 earthquakes in this area. The first was a magnitude 3.1 which struck on the morning of the 19th. Six hours later, a magnitude 2.6 event struck. The next day, another magnitude 3.1 event struck. Last night a magnitude 2.4 event struck ahead of today’s early morning earthquake.

According to USGS, this is not a seismically active part of the country. According to the Fractracker Alliance, though, the area of this seismicity is in an area rich of fracking and oil and gas production.