Earthquake Swarm in Arkansas Intensifies. Memphis, Tennessee could be epicenter for the next big one

Things are picking up again. If you felt any of these please report them.

MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km LOCATION
MAP 2.3 2011/10/05 10:45:03 35.370 -92.270 4.3 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/10/05 10:38:29 35.360 -92.306 6.6 5 km ( 3 mi) NE of Guy, AR
MAP 2.9 2011/10/05 10:37:34 35.370 -92.263 4.4 4 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 3.4 2011/10/05 09:38:30 35.367 -92.271 4.7 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/10/05 08:16:19 35.361 -92.262 5.2 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.4 2011/10/03 01:56:08 35.357 -92.257 4.0 4 km ( 3 mi) SW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.9 2011/10/03 01:33:21 35.376 -92.263 4.4 4 km ( 3 mi) W of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.1 2011/10/01 21:19:52 35.435 -92.036 0.1 7 km ( 4 mi) S of Heber Springs, AR

earthquake.usgs.gov...

There have been four quakes over night in Arkansas. Mostly near Quitman. I don't know what to say.Or rather, don't want to say what I really believe. I had really hoped that this story was over. The injection wells closed. The Guy/Greenbrier swarm ended. But the damage has already been done. Every day I watch the siesmos in Arkansas. Because. Because I know they are continuing to frack, and they are continuing to disposal injection outside of the exclusion zone. The entire area is seismic.

In my humble, non-expert opinion, the sequence of events are leading to a major earthquake. Just like 1811-1812.
It should be evident that Quitman is north of Guy and it may be that the Guy/Greenbrier fault extends to Quitman. One of last night's quakes was in Guy.

I actually think it's an artificial fault (meaning man-made) created by the injections. The fault could rupture from Guy to Quitman. If this is the case. We are in for another swarm. With larger earthquakes to follow.

I know one of my recent posts were extreme and seem over the top. But it's wasn't. I wish it was.

reply to post by Robin Marks


Remember they only closed some of the injection wells. I'm wondering if they have a new one.

reply to post by SusanFrey


Yes, they set up a zone. I'd have to go checking to find out the areas included in the seismic zone. So, they are still injecting in some places. I don't think it's a new one. The had stopped the new permits. But then again.

All I know Susan is, it ain't over til the big lady has sung. And I believe her to be mother nature. She's still got sumtin to say.

reply to post by Robin Marks


Yeah I know Robin, I don't have time to search today maybe tonight I can do some looking and see.

reply to post by MamaJ

9:56 AM muffled...something...like a train roar from very far away and low. We have trains and boats that make all kinds of noises but this was-guaranteed-not that.

There is one doorframe in the house that creaks and pops when the ground shifts. It has been noisy today.

And I see Arkansas is rumbling.

Hang in there, Susan and others.

Remember we are in drought so the ground is doing funny things

So this is intriguing. I took a late morning short nap, and felt slight vibrationing (bed floor me). I don't live near Arkansas, but I'm a couple states up the road, so to speak. I've felt earthquakes (the confirmed ones with MSM mention) about 6 times already, that I can remember, so I know when something really different is going on.

reply to post by Saucerwench


Hmmm....... about what time was that? I heard two or three booms again this morning, around 10:15 EST. We're in PA, where are you? This is the fourth time I've heard them. It seems things along the east coast are moving too! They have all sounded like they were right in our yard! I sure hope we're not next to an unknown fault line! The one in the middle of the night was more disconcerting because it's usually so quiet around here. The daytime ones I always figure it's something man made when I first hear it.

The first time, people miles away heard it, even people in Ohio. It woke them up, said it sounded like someone pounding on the door! Here it was more of a series of booms. It must be a pretty big fault line! We felt the first VA quake here too. But that one was felt in a lot of states.

Another quake. Seven in less than 24 hrs. We have a new swarm in Arkansas.

Seems its rumbling in Arkansas again.
Fracking perhaps - different location
or same location?

reply to post by crazydaisy


There is fracking in the area. I don't know about injection. It is north of Guy and almost up to Quitman. It may be the fault is longer than they think.

According to www.arkansasmatters.com, they closed all fracking in Arkansas as of September 2011 due to the large number of earthquakes coinciding with the amount of fracking. I just checked the USGS site and they only show one earthquake in the Arkansas area in the last week which was a 2.7 within the last 24 hours.

reply to post by Gridrebel


MAP 2.7 2011/10/05 23:26:30 35.368 -92.281 5.6 6 km ( 4 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/10/05 10:45:03 35.370 -92.270 4.3 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.2 2011/10/05 10:38:29 35.360 -92.306 6.6 5 km ( 3 mi) NE of Guy, AR
MAP 2.9 2011/10/05 10:37:34 35.370 -92.263 4.4 4 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 3.4 2011/10/05 09:38:30 35.367 -92.271 4.7 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.3 2011/10/05 08:16:19 35.361 -92.262 5.2 5 km ( 3 mi) WSW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.4 2011/10/03 01:56:08 35.357 -92.257 4.0 4 km ( 3 mi) SW of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.9 2011/10/03 01:33:21 35.376 -92.263 4.4 4 km ( 3 mi) W of Quitman, AR
MAP 2.1 2011/10/01 21:19:52 35.435 -92.036 0.1 7 km ( 4 mi) S of Heber Springs, AR


They haven't posted the one that happened in the last hour. It's small. 2.0M probably.

And they did not stop fracking in Arkansas. They stopped injection wells. They're still fracking and they are actively fracking right near Quitman which is the location for the new, and ongoing activity.

Only 4 injection wells were closed. They were all in the Greenbrier/Guy area. I believe there are either 3 or 4 more in the fracking area. I don't recall off the top of my head where they are. I think one may be in the Quitman area though.

Very significant swarm!
I don't have a very good
feeling about this.

If I am correct you cannot time
how long a swarm will last,
correct?

Arkansas local news on the recent quakes

reply to post by ButterCookie


Thanks for the link - so what
they are basically saying is the
after effects could go on for years
and get use to it. That doesn't
make anyone feel better. Is his
analysis on the wells causing the
swarm correct?

Had a dream last night about Arkansas getting hit by a 7.4... probably means nothing, but I saw the USGS map with the big red square and specifically remember that number, thought I'd share since I see there's been some activity. Hope nothing happens, then again maybe I do.. have an ex boyfriend living out there. =p Just kidding of course, I don't wish anything bad to happen to him or anyone else.

They have been sealing the injection wells that were shut down with concrete and the day after they seal them we start having earthquakes. Some of you that are new may not realize that there are still injection wells in the state in use, not all of the injections wells were closed. The current earthquakes are mostly along the new fault line that was found earlier this year. Some are scattered in other areas near other injection wells you have to look at the maps geologists and seismologists explained the earthquakes at the hearing and compared to a previous swarm that were a county away. The injection wells "caused" that fault to slip and even after they shut the wells down, it may continue to slip for a while, or it may slip after they pump a bunch of water and concrete in to them while plugging them. We may have more quakes to come from the sealing of the wells. I know my ears are ringing again, both my husband and myself are having trouble sleeping tonight. Just hoping everyone stays safe and prepared.

Susan, I know there is fracking in and around Quitman.
Is there still an injection well north of Quitman?

I remember them talking about not permitting injection wells in a "seismic zone".
I also believe Deep Six had to shut down their injection well near Enola.
Maybe you can get a hold of the gas commission and find out exactly how many injection wells are still in operation. And their locations.

Great report Buttercookie. You beat me to it- i got the report in my email.
I would have to agree with the fact that Colorado had aftershocks long after they stopped injection. So, I should be content, and like the reporter told the folks of Arkansas, "just hang in there". No frackng way. Yes, the injected water still has to have time to work its way through the porous rock and stabilize. But let's look at the facts. The new quakes aren't where the old quakes used to be. The activity is migrating. This means the fault may be longer and other parts may be rupturing.

There have been quakes north of Quitman on and off for months. They were just overshadowed by the Guy and Greenbrier. At least the media in Arkansas is prepared and has reports immediately.

Anybody know what killed the fish yet?


And just to add, I'm glad it didn't blow into a full-fledged swarm. So far.