Oklahoma hit by its third-strongest magnitude 5.1 earthquake ever — USGS

OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma was struck by a magnitude 5.1 earthquakeonSaturdaymorning, the third-strongest quake ever recorded in the state, which has experienced a surge in seismic activity in recent years, the US Geological Survey reported.

The quake at 11:07am local time was followed by several aftershocksinthenext90minutes, includingonewithamagnitudeof 3.9, the USGS said.

The first quake was felt from Kansas City, Missouri, to Dallas, Texas, but no damages or injuries were reported.

Oil fields have boomed in Oklahoma over the past decade thanks to advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, and seismologists have said the state’s frequent earthquakes may be linked to disposal wells that inject saltwater, a natural byproduct of oil and gas work, into deep underground caverns.

Saturday’s quake was centered about 153 km northwest of OklahomaCity,andatanestimated depth of 7 km, the USGS said.

The epic enter is near the East CampbellGas Field, about 121 km westof Cushing,Oklahoma,which is one of the largest oil storage hubs in the world and is known as the Pipeline Crossroads of theWorld.

Only two previous earthquakes in Oklahoma were stronger than Saturday’s: amagnitude 5.6 quake in 2011 and a 5.5magnitude quake in 1952, said a geophysicist with USGS. — Reuters