2011 Oklahoma earthquake

2011 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma

This article is about the M5.7 earthquake. For the earthquake swarms of which this was the second-largest earthquake, see Oklahoma earthquake swarms (2009–present).

2011 Oklahoma earthquake

Chimney damage from the earthquake

Oklahoma City

UTC time| 2011-11-06 03:53:10
ISC event| 17507292
USGS-ANSS| ComCat
Local date| November 6, 2011
Local time| 10:53:10 p.m. CDT
Magnitude| 5.7 Mw [1]
Depth| 5.2 kilometers (3 mi)[1]
Epicenter| 35°35′56″N 96°45′07″W﻿ / ﻿35.599°N 96.752°W﻿ / 35.599; -96.752
Type| Strike-slip
Areas affected| United States
Max. intensity| MMI VIII (Severe)[2]
Casualties| Two injured

* * *

Part of the 2009–present Oklahoma earthquakes
USGS ShakeMap for the Oklahoma earthquake

The 2011 Oklahoma earthquake was a 5.7 magnitude intraplate earthquake which occurred near Prague, Oklahoma on November 5 at 10:53 p.m. CDT (03:53 UTC November 6) in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.[3] The epicenter of the earthquake was in the vicinity of several active wastewater injection wells.[4][5] According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma until the 2016 Oklahoma earthquake.[3] The previous record was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that struck near the town of El Reno in 1952.[6] The quake's epicenter was approximately 44 miles (71 km) east-northeast of Oklahoma City, near the town of Sparks and was felt in the neighboring states of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri and even as far away as Tennessee and Wisconsin.[7] The quake followed several minor quakes earlier in the day, including a 4.7 magnitude foreshock.[7][8][9] The quake had a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale in the area closest to the epicenter.[2] Numerous aftershocks were detected after the main quake, with a few registering at 4.0 magnitude.[7]

In March 28, 2016 the USGS released the USGS National Seismic Hazard Map which concluded that the primary cause of the earthquake in Oklahoma in 2011 was pressure on faults from cumulative effects of injecting oil drilling wastewater under high pressure into the underground.[4][5][10] Although the 2011 earthquake was the largest on record, the USGS reported that the central and eastern U.S. (CEUS) has undergone the most dramatic increase in seismic activity in the United States since 2009 with an average of 318 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 a year up from 24 a year from 1973 to 2008. In 2015 there were 1,010 earthquakes in the CEUS region. By mid-March 2016 there were already 226 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 and larger in the CEUS.[5] "Earthquake rates have recently increased markedly in multiple areas of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), especially since 2010, and scientific studies have linked the majority of this increased activity to wastewater injection in deep disposal wells."[11]: 2

## Geology

[edit]

The Oklahoma Geological Survey believes the earthquake occurred along the Wilzetta Fault, which is also known as the Seminole Uplift.[9] The Wilzetta Fault is a 55-mile (89 km) long fault zone that runs from central Pottawatomie County to the western part of Creek County.[12] It is a strike-slip fault, where two adjacent crustal blocks slide horizontally past each other, but unlike the similar moving San Andreas Fault, the Wilzetta Fault is not located near the margins of any tectonic plates. From 1972 to 2008, between two and six earthquakes were recorded annually by the USGS, however 50 were recorded in 2009. The USGS and the Oklahoma Geological Survey are installing more seismometers to better monitor the increased activity. Aftershocks from the 5.6 quake, including some that can be felt, were expected to last for months.[2] The Oklahoma Geological Survey reported in 2011 that a minor earthquake swarm which occurred in January 2011 could possibly have been due to hydraulic fracturing, which is a process used to extract oil from oil wells.[13] In November 2011 several geologists with the USGS that were contacted by The Huffington Post said that the 5.6 magnitude quake was not due to the mechanical process of hydraulic fracturing itself, which they said causes tremors on a much smaller scale.[14]

According to the 2016 USGS report, "Earthquake rates have recently increased markedly in multiple areas of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), especially since 2010, and scientific studies have linked the majority of this increased activity to wastewater injection in deep disposal wells."[10][11]: 2 [15][16][17][18] In March 2013, an article published in the scientific journal Geology observed that "the volume of fluid injected into the subsurface related to the production of unconventional resources continues to rise" and this potentially triggered the earthquake.[10] An issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research published in March 2014 found that a magnitude 5.0 foreshock believed to be induced by fluid injection promoted failure of the rupture plain of the November 5 mainshock.[19]

## Damage

[edit]

Early reports indicated that U.S. Route 62 had "buckled" in three locations and that several nearby homes had major damage and there were also numerous reports of broken windows and other minor damage, mostly to residences.[20] Some local residents reported minor masonry damage and a chimney collapsed at one residence, while a few residents near the epicenter reported a noise which sounded like thunder in the distance as the earthquake struck.[21] The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported that two people suffered minor injuries, 14 homes had various levels of damage, and that Benedictine Hall at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee had one turret collapse and two others damaged, forcing the closure of the building.[22] Sandra and Gary Ladra of Prague, suffered physical injuries and damage to their home, during the earthquake. They sued Spess Oil and Old Dominion, LLC, for compensation. In July 2017, Spess came to a confidential settlement in the case, which was before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.[23]

## Radar imagery

[edit]

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that weather radar detected insects, bats and birds which had apparently taken flight immediately after the quake. The NWS radar indicated that the tremors were significant enough that those animals that could leave the ground, did so.[24]

## See also

[edit]

* Oklahoma earthquake swarms (2009–present)
* 2016 Oklahoma earthquake
* List of earthquakes in 2011
* List of earthquakes in Oklahoma
* List of earthquakes in the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "M5.7 – Oklahoma". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
2. ^ a b c "Earthquake Summary". Magnitude 5.6 – Oklahoma. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
3. ^ a b "Magnitudes for Oklahoma Earthquakes Shift Upward". United States Geological Survey. September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
4. ^ a b Achenbach, Joel (March 28, 2016), "7 million Americans at risk of man-made earthquakes, USGS says", The Washington Post
5. ^ a b c Fitzpatrick, Jessica; Petersen, Mark (March 28, 2016), Induced Earthquakes Raise Chances of Damaging Shaking in 2016, United States Geological Survey, archived from the original on April 23, 2016, retrieved April 28, 2016
6. ^ "Historic Earthquakes". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
7. ^ a b c "Oklahoma Hit With 10 Aftershocks Following 5.6-Magnitude Earthquake". Fox News). Associated Press. November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
8. ^ "Magnitude 4.7 – Oklahoma". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
9. ^ a b "Preliminary Earthquake Report, November 5, 2011". Leonard Geophysical Observatory. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
10. ^ a b c Keranen, Katie M.; Savage, Heather M.; Abers, Geoffrey A.; Cochran, Elizabeth S. (2013). "Potentially induced earthquakes in Oklahoma, USA: Links between wastewater injection and the 2011 Mw 5.7 earthquake sequence". Geology. 41 (6): 699–702\. Bibcode:2013Geo....41..699K. doi:10.1130/G34045.1.via EBSCO
11. ^ a b Petersen, Mark D.; Mueller, Charles S.; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Hoover, Susan M.; Llenos, Andrea L.; Ellsworth, William L.; Michael, Andrew J.; Rubinstein, Justin L.; McGarr, Arthur F.; Rukstales, Kenneth S. (April 1, 2016). "2016 One-Year Seismic Hazard Forecast for the Central and Eastern United States from Induced and Natural Earthquakes" (PDF). Open-File Report (Report). Reston, Virginia. p. 58\. doi:10.3133/ofr20161035. ISSN 2331-1258. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 14, 2016.
12. ^ Parker Gay, S. (2003). "The Nemaha Trend—A System of Compressional Thrust-Fold, Strike-Slip Structural Features in Kansas and Oklahoma, Part 1" (PDF). Shale Shaker: 9–17, 39–49. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
13. ^ Holland, Austin (August 2011). "Examination of Possibly Induced Seismicity from Hydraulic Fracturing in the Eola Field, Garvin County, Oklahoma" (PDF). Oklahoma Geological Survey. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
14. ^ Borenstein, Seth; Fahey, Jonathan (November 7, 2011). "Oklahoma Earthquakes Stronger Than Fracking Tremors, Experts Say". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
15. ^ Ellsworth, W.L. (2013). "Injection-induced earthquakes". Science. 341 (6142): 7. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.460.5560. doi:10.1126/science.1225942. PMID 23846903. S2CID 206543048.
16. ^ Keranen, K.M.; Weingarten, Matthew; Abers, G.A.; Bekins, B.A.; Ge, Shemin (2014). "Sharp increase in central Oklahoma seismicity since 2008 induced by massive wastewater injection". Science. 345 (6195): 448–451\. Bibcode:2014Sci...345..448K. doi:10.1126/science.1255802. PMID 24993347. S2CID 206558853.
17. ^ Walsh, F.R.; Zoback, M.D. (2015). "Oklahoma's recent earthquakes and saltwater disposal". Science Advances. 1 (5): e1500195. Bibcode:2015SciA....1E0195W. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500195. PMC 4640601. PMID 26601200.
18. ^ Weingarten, Matthew; Ge, Shemin; Godt, J.W.; Bekins, B.A.; Rubinstein, J.L. (2015). "High-rate injection is associated with the increase in U.S. mid-continent seismicity". Science. 348 (6241): 1336–1340\. Bibcode:2015Sci...348.1336W. doi:10.1126/science.aab1345. PMID 26089509.
19. ^ Sumy, Danielle F.; Cochran, Elizabeth S.; Keranen, Katie M.; Wei, Maya; Abers, Geoffrey A. (March 7, 2014). "Observations of static Coulomb stress triggering of the November 2011 M5.7 Oklahoma earthquake sequence". Solid Earth. Journal of Geophysical Research. 119 (3): 1904–1923\. Bibcode:2014JGRB..119.1904S. doi:10.1002/2013JB010612.
20. ^ "Oklahoma quake buckles highway, damages several homes". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
21. ^ Dinger, Matt. "Record 5.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Oklahoma". News OK. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
22. ^ "Quake update: Several homes, university damaged; assessment ongoing". Tulsa World. November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
23. ^ Oil company settles earthquake damage suit, Michelle Charles, Stillwater News Press, July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
24. ^ Israel, Brett (November 7, 2011). "Oklahoma Quake Stirs Bird, Bug or Bat Swarm Seen on Radars". Our Amazing Planet. Retrieved July 20, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Animation of M5.6 Foreshocks and Aftershocks-Nov 5, 2011 to July 31, 2012
* The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.

* v
* t
* e

← Earthquakes in 2011 →

January|

* Tirúa, Chile (7.1, Jan 2)
* Balochistan, Pakistan (7.2, Jan 19)

February|

* Christchurch, New Zealand (6.3, Feb 22)†

March|

* Sendai, Japan (7.2, Mar 9)
* Yunnan, China (5.4, Mar 10)
* Tōhoku, Japan (Great East Japan) (9.1, Mar 11)†‡
* Sakae, Japan (6.7, Mar 11)
* Nagano, Japan (6.7, Mar 12)
* Shizuoka, Japan (6.0, Mar 15)
* Shan State, Myanmar (6.8, Mar 24)†

April|

* Miyagi, Japan (7.1, Apr 7)
* Fukushima, Japan (6.6, Apr 11)

May|

* Guerrero, Mexico (5.7, May 5)
* Lorca, Spain (5.1, May 11)
* Simav, Turkey (5.8, May 19)

June|

* Christchurch, New Zealand (6.3, June 13)

July|

* Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) (6.2, July 19)

August|

* Trinidad, Colorado (5.3, Aug 22)
* Mineral, Virginia (5.8, Aug 23)

September|

* Aceh Singkil, Indonesia (6.7, Sep 6)
* Sikkim, India (6.8, Sep 18)†

October|

* Van, Turkey (7.2, Oct 23)†

November|

* Prague, Oklahoma (5.7, Nov 6)
* Van, Turkey (5.6, Nov 10)†

December|

* Guerrero, Mexico (6.5, Dec 10)
* Christchurch, New Zealand (5.8, Dec 23)

† indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year

* v
* t
* e

Earthquakes in the United States

Historical|

* 1585 Aleutian Islands
* 1638 New Hampshire
* 1663 Charlevoix
* 1700 Cascadia
* 1755 Cape Ann
* 1783 New Jersey
* 1811–12 New Madrid
* 1812 San Juan Capistrano
* 1812 Santa Barbara
* 1838 San Andreas
* 1857 Fort Tejon
* 1865 Memphis
* 1867 Manhattan, Kansas
* 1868 Hawaii
* 1868 Hayward
* 1870 Charlevoix
* 1871 Lānaʻi
* 1872 Owens Valley
* 1872 North Cascades
* 1882 Fort Collins
* 1886 Charleston
* 1887 Sonora
* 1892 Laguna Salada
* 1892 Vacaville–Winters
* 1895 Charleston
* 1898 Mare Island
* 1899 San Jacinto

20th century|

* 1901 Richfield
* 1906 San Francisco
* 1906 Aleutian Islands
* 1909 Wabash River
* 1914 Reno
* 1915 Imperial Valley
* 1915 Pleasant Valley
* 1916 Irondale
* 1918 San Jacinto
* 1921 Sevier Valley
* 1925 Montana
* 1925 Santa Barbara
* 1927 Lompoc
* 1931 Valentine
* 1932 Eureka
* 1932 Cedar Mountain
* 1933 Long Beach
* 1934 Hansel Valley
* 1935 Helena
* 1936 State Line
* 1940 El Centro
* 1940 New Hampshire
* 1944 Cornwall–Massena
* 1946 Aleutian Islands
* 1947 Wisconsin
* 1948 Desert Hot Springs
* 1949 Olympia
* 1952 Kern County
* 1954 Churchill County
* 1957 Andreanof Islands
* 1957 San Francisco
* 1958 Huslia
* 1958 Lituya Bay
* 1959 Hebgen Lake
* 1962 Cache Valley
* 1964 Alaska
* 1965 Rat Islands
* 1965 Puget Sound
* 1968 Borrego Mountain
* 1968 Illinois
* 1969 Santa Rosa
* 1971 San Fernando
* 1973 Point Mugu
* 1975 Near Islands
* 1975 Morris
* 1975 Hawaii
* 1979 Coyote Lake
* 1979 Imperial Valley
* 1980 Eureka
* 1981 Westmorland
* 1983 Coalinga
* 1983 Borah Peak
* 1983 Kaoiki
* 1984 Morgan Hill
* 1986 North Palm Springs
* 1986 Chalfant Valley
* 1987 Whittier Narrows
* 1987 Imperial Valley
* 1989 Loma Prieta
* 1990 Upland
* 1991 Sierra Madre
* 1992 Joshua Tree
* 1992 Cape Mendocino
* 1992 Landers
* 1992 Big Bear
* 1992 St. George
* 1993 Scotts Mills
* 1993 Klamath Falls
* 1994 Northridge
* 1995 Marathon
* 1998 Pymatuning
* 1999 Hector Mine
* 2000 Yountville

21st century|

* 2001 Nisqually
* 2002 Denali
* 2003 Alabama
* 2003 San Simeon
* 2006 Gulf of Mexico
* 2006 Kiholo Bay
* 2008 Illinois
* 2008 Chino Hills
* 2008 Reno
* 2008 Wells
* 2010 Eureka
* 2010 Baja California
* 2011 Colorado
* 2011 Virginia
* 2011 Oklahoma
* 2013 Port Alexander
* 2014 La Habra
* 2014 Aleutian Islands
* 2014 Southeast Alaska
* 2014 South Napa
* 2016 Oklahoma
* 2018 Alaska
* 2018 Hawaii
* 2018 Anchorage
* 2018 Southern Appalachian
* 2019 Ridgecrest
* 2020 Salt Lake City
* 2020 Central Idaho
* 2020 Monte Cristo Range
* 2020 Sparta
* 2021 Chignik
* 2022 Ferndale
* 2023 Texas
* 2024 New Jersey
* 2024 Cape Mendocino

Swarms|

* 2001 Enola
* 2008 Reno
* 2010–11 Guy–Greenbrier
* 2012 Brawley
* 2009–present Oklahoma
* 2019 Ridgecrest

*[Max.]: Maximum
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template