Many thanks to the professionals who took notice of this man made earthquake in Virginia—

http://www.wattsupbrent.com/saturdays-earthquake-manmade/

Saturday’s earthquake manmade?

Fracking pads next to quake epicenter – Click image to Launch Google Maps and see for yourself

One thing we often do as human beings is assume that all things are created equal, when in reality we know they are not.

I did that this weekend with a small earthquake that occurred north of  Richlands near Tazewell county in southwest Virginia.

The quake occurred around 6:15AM Saturday. It wasn’t a big earthquake, but certainly enough to get your attention if you live in the area. According to USGS, the quake was felt 100 miles or more from the epicenter.

@HPax on Twitter, saw my tweet and pointed out a video discussion made today that shows the proximity of natural gas fracking just miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.

Some researchers believe the increasingly common use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking — the controversial practice of blasting underground rock formations with high-pressure water, sand, and chemicals to extract natural gas — may put stress on fault lines. It’s essentially, breaking apart the rock beneath the earth’s surface.

The real question is, can human activity really cause the earth to move?

It has happened before. One “textbook case” occurred in 1967 in India, says Peter Fairley at IEEE Spectrum, when the reservoir behind the hydroelectric Koyna Dam was filled up. The added water “unleashed a magnitude 6.3 quake” by placing stress “on a previously unknown fault, killing 180 people and leaving thousands homeless.”

Studies are being done in Arkansas and Oklahoma on the possible connection between fracking and earthquakes. Certainly something to consider. I’m a meteorologist NOT a geologist, but the same methodology applies to both fields. Every scenerio isn’t going to be the same. There’s always opportunities, such as this, to look and learn about the variables that might make this one a little different from your average event.