My simple theory on how fracking could be causing earthquakes.

I did say could be...

The debate is on lately whether or not fracking is the reason for the recent earthquake activity in some states. I've seen USGS scientist say "no" but then other scientist saying "yes". I was discussing this with a friend yesterday and something we discussed struck a chord. It made me recall childhood memories of watching my father manipulate granite with chisels, drills, and hammers.
My father would drill holes along the granite at the point he wanted the rock to break off.

The holes where in a line around 6 inches a part and could continue for several feet.

After drilling the holes he would insert three pieces of metal: (2) "feathers" and (1) "wedge" into every hole.

When you start hammering the wedge down into the hole and then alternate between the holes it will gradually split the stone in the line you have drilled.

Here is a video showing the process of "Splitting Stone with Feather and Wedge"


Now take this method of rock splitting and apply it to fracking wells. They drill these wells several hundred to thousands of feet deep until they reach the desired depth for the gas. They then cap the well so it's possible to control the release of the gas. Pressure then builds up within the Hydrofracked line. If you then Hydrofracked a few more wells within several miles would it not be a possibility that they are stressing the earth the way a Stonemason splits stone? The pressure of the gas could be constantly pushing outward just as a "feather" and "wedge' does as you hammer them down. I'm not saying it will split the land but what I am implying is that it could be making ole Mother Earth strain and shake a little more than usual.

Any thoughts on this?

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


i think that's an interesting theory and very plausible. i do think fracking is causing a lot of the problems and could be a lot of the booming and shaking people are experiencing. i think it's out of hand and unregulated because it's so new.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive

I'm not saying it will split the land but what I am implying is that it could be making ole Mother Earth strain and shake a little more than usual.

I highly doubt it. The size of the holes are so insignificant when compared to the size of the crustal layer.

What I personally believe could be a more likely theory is oil drilling. Oil is like the Earths natural lubricant imo, and by removing so much of it, there is much more crustal grinding. Mathematical estimates indicate that all the oil accessible in the Earth will have been removed anywhere between 2050 and 2100. We have already removed a large portion of it.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


Yea I considered the hole size as well but since these holes can go around 8000 feet deep it still makes me think it's possible. I don't know that you couldn't drill 1/4" size holes in granite in the same process and then apply pressure by driving something strong enough down into the hole. I believe with enough pressure you would still eventually split that rock.

What I personally believe could be a more likely theory is oil drilling. Oil is like the Earths natural lubricant imo, and by removing so much of it, there is much more crustal grinding. Mathematical estimates indicate that all the oil accessible in the Earth will have been removed anywhere between 2050 and 2100. We have already removed a large portion of it.

That too is also what I think could be contributing to it. A big possibility.

reply to post by TheLieWeLive

but since these holes can go around 8000 feet deep it still makes me think it's possible.

The diameter of the holes also needs to be taken into consideration, and when you think about their size compared to the size of the crustal plates I doubt they even have the slightest chance of causing problems. You would need some massive holes and some massive pressure. But I don't even think you would notice any increase in quake activity until the plates started to become displaced.

Good theory,but what is happening is not the holes themselves,but the fracking fluid being injected into those holes which is used to extract the gas.

Earthquakes
A report in the UK concluded that fracking was the likely cause of some small earth tremors that happened during shale gas drilling.[140][141][142] In addition, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that, "Earthquakes induced by human activity have been documented in a few locations" in the United States, Japan, and Canada, "the cause [of which] was injection of fluids into deep wells for waste disposal and secondary recovery of oil, and the use of reservoirs for water supplies."[143] The disposal and injection wells referenced are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and UIC laws and are not wells where hydraulic fracturing is generally performed.[citation needed] Several earthquakes—including a light, magnitude 4.0 one on New Year's Eve—that had hit Youngstown, Ohio, throughout 2011 are likely linked to a disposal well for injecting wastewater used in the hydraulic fracturing process, according to seismologists at Columbia University.[144] Consequently, Ohio has since tightened its rules regarding the wells,[145] increased fees, and is considering a moratorium on the practice.[145]

en.wikipedia.org...

Frakcing is stressing the earth. Enough to make strange noises and cause earthquakes? This is a possibility and potential problem... on top of the water and land being poisoned

Fracking.

I agree with chaoticorder as well as the op. Oil isnt from dead dinosaurs like they are trying to teach us in schools. they make it sound like its the result of a freak accident and okay to be removed and not the lubrication for earths plate movements.
And Ive seen tremors in a small town named cleburne Tx that have never had tremors before this new fracking craze. Cleburne even held a Townmeeting on the issue but nothing changed, more big brown ugly curtains continued to rise up in residential neighborhoods and in one instance in Hurst Tx So close to a playground that kids could throw stones at the brown curtain.

So if you apply that video highfreq added and then think about multiple wells, you can see the point I'm getting at with causing earthquakes. It could be weakening the ground enough in the applied areas to make the ground rumble and maybe even cause booming sounds.

Well take it for what its worth...

Fracking causes money

And the fluid also causes cancer

but that does not negate the fact that it makes money. So I estimate that
you could have Albert Einstein, Jesus and the Dali Lama testify that fracking causes
cancer, earthquakes and PMS, only to find that many people think the conclusion is
a communist plot...

Aside from that, it sounds very plausible to me, it only takes very little stress to
cause a chain reaction in something as rigid as rock.Consider the stress it already
exists under...