Hydraulic+fracturing+and+regional+earthquakes

**Article:** Volume of fracking fluid pumped underground tied to Canada quakes.  Carolyn Gramling. "Volume of fracking fluid pumped underground tied to Canada quakes." Science News. 18 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. < [] >

//Previous investigations revealed that fracking well injections at the site were triggering earthquakes on an underlying fault system. //

//Natural gas plays a key role in our nation's clean energy future. The U.S. has vast reserves of natural gas that are commercially viable as a result of advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies enabling greater access to gas in shale formations. Responsible development of America's shale gas resources offers important economic, energy security, and environmental benefits.// -US Environmental Protection Agency


 * Summary ****:** New evidence reveals that indicates that reducing the volume of water that is pumped underground for the extraction of oil and gas may reduce the number of earthquakes related to hydraulic fracturing. This study specifically analyzes a oil and gas production site in central Canada known as Fox Creek. According to Reuters, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into rock to extract natural gas or other products. This issue first came to light when experts noticed that pre-2013, the Fox Creek area was earthquake free. However, over just a few years, hundreds of earthquakes have occurred. According to Gramling, “an analysis of rates of injection, fluid pressure and fluid volume for the wells closest in proximity to the quakes revealed that, at this site, only volume was linked to the quakes”. This substantiates the assertion by Ryan Schultz of the Alberta Geological Survey in Edmonton that the volume of water used in the fracking practice can correlate with seismic slip.


 * Relevance to Course ****:** This issue strong relates to the coursework we have studied “Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability” which heavily emphasizes the significance of living sustainably (Miller 5). A sustainable society manages its economy and population size without exceeding all or part of the planet’s ability to absorb environmental insults, replenish its resources, and sustain human and other forms of life over a specified period (Miller 5). However, at the present rate of land area deterioration, it is evident this is not transpiring. Human actions in recent years have only been contributing to the deterioration of our planet--once known as a sustainable system. In this case, it is clear that human activity such as a fracking can cause damage to the earth as severe as earthquakes.

**Opinion**: As aforementioned, one of the critical reasons these hydraulic fracturing earthquakes is occurring is because of human actions in the environment. Emphatically enforcing regulation and ordinances preventing or limiting certain activities will go a long way. Currently, in the United States, only some states heavily regulate and enforce fracking ordinance. It is indubitable that environmental enforcement is necessary; however, lack of funding, attention to other more “immediate” issues, and general ignorance hinders significant positive environmental change. Rectifying the issue will be far from easy, but it is important for the international community to recognize and address this exigent issue before more adverse consequences occur. Essentially, investing money, efforts, and resources now, and looking beyond the present and momentary wants and needs of the economy, will be much more beneficent to not only the American population’s health and safety but also the economy in the future.

**Environmental Law:** Currently, there are quite a few ordinances, relating to fracking and human-environment interaction, in place. According to Sally Jewell, United States Secretary of the Interior, current fracking laws are more than 30 years old. They should be revised to better fit the modern changes that have taken place in the last few years. Recent ordinances have taken effect in Pennsylvania. The new rules “allow the state’s department of environmental protection to require additional measures if fracking is taking place near public resources, and requires drillers to restore water supply that is degraded or damaged through fracking”.

US EPA. "Summary of the Clean Air Act | US EPA." US EPA. 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 11 Sept. 2017. < [] > <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Coral Davenport. "New Federal Rules Are Set for Fracking." Nytimes.com. 21 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. < <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">> <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Nijhuis, Michelle. "Amid Drought, New California Law Will Limit Groundwater Pumping for First Time." News.nationalgeographic.com. 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2017. < <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">> <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Carolyn Gramling. "Volume of fracking fluid pumped underground tied to Canada quakes." Science News. 18 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. < <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">> <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">R. Schultz et al. Hydraulic fracturing volume is associated with induced earthquake productivity in the Duvernay play. Science. Vol. 359, January 19, 2018, p. 304. doi: 10.1126/science.aao0159. <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">R. Schultz et al. A seismological overview of the induced earthquakes in the Duvernay play near Fox Creek, Alberta. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. Vol. 122, January 18, 2017, p. 492. doi: 10.1002/2016JB013570 <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Reuters Editorial. "Pennsylvania adopts new fracking regulations." U.S.. n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. < <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">> <span style="font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">X. Bao and D.W. Eaton. Fault activation by hydraulic fracturing in western Canada. Science. Vol. 354, December 16, 2016, p. 1406. doi: 10.1126/science.aag2538.
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