Seismicity in the contiguous United States between 2009 and 2012. Black dots denote earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 3.0. (U.S. Geological Survey) /The Atlantic
Oklahoma now rivals California in seismic activity, and scientists are telling residents to prepare for "the big one." In The Atlantic, Adrienne LaFrance links the dramatic uptick in earthquakes to fracking.
From the story:
"Last year there were 109 earthquakes of 3.0 or bigger in Oklahoma—a record high. But by one-third of the way through this year, Oklahoma had already logged 145 earthquakes of that magnitude. Looking at these numbers, scientists believe there's a significant chance the state could see a damaging magnitude 5.5 (or bigger) quake next."