4.9 Magnitude Earthquake in West Texas Felt in DFW/Austin

Earthquakes in Texas are more common than you think! At approximately 10:39 PM CDT on Monday, July 22, 2024, an earthquake occurred between Snyder and Roby Texas. This was a magnitude 4.9 and is  tied for the 8th strongest earthquake recorded in Texas. An aftershock was reported at 10:46  with a magnitude of 4.4 struck in roughly the same location.  Effects from the aftershocks were felt in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and were also felt as far north as Amarillo and as far south as Austin.

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EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN IN OUR AREA ALL THE TIME:

At one point during a six-week period in 2021, there was a total of thirty-three(1.8-3.3 magnitude) reported earthquakes in this general area. Before this time period, this area was pretty dormant. So the question is, why are these happening?

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?

So the question is, why are these happening? Most people will say fracking. Here is the official response from the USGS. While earthquakes are not directly caused by hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The two are connected. The recent increase in earthquakes is primarily caused by the disposal of waste fluids that are a byproduct of oil production. How does this cause an earthquake? Wastewater disposal wells typically operate for longer durations and inject much more fluid than is injected during the hydraulic fracturing process, making them more likely to induce earthquakes.

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