Well,
@texanschick I've actually read where fracking can change the plates and could cause seismic activity! That's why!Fluid injection is a controversial tactic tied to hydraulic fracturing, the drilling technique known as "fracking" that has dramatically increased U.S. oil and gas production. When oil and gas is pumped out of the ground, salty water often flows out with it. This water is typically injected back under high pressure into disposal wells -- a practice that the geological agency has said can induce earthquakes. Related: Fracking now makes up half of U.S. oil productionDespite environmental concerns over contaminated water and earthquakes, fracking activity has skyrocketed. The U.S. had 300,000 fracking wells last year, up from just 23,000 in 2000, according to the Energy Information Administration. Seismic activity is also on the rise in certain energy-intensive states after a relatively stable period of about 30 years. Earthquake rates have "recently increased markedly" in multiple areas of the Central and Eastern U.S., especially since 2010, the report said. Its 2014 model of seismic risks did not consider man-made quakes. The agency said several damaging quakes have occurred recently near injection wells. For instance, a magnitude 5.6-earthquake caused minor injuries and damage to homes in 2011 near Prague, Oklahoma. Other tremors in these fracking regions include a 5.3-magnitude quake near Trinidad, Colorado in 2011 and a 4.8-magnitude quake near Timpson, Texas in 2012. Oklahoma City and the surrounding region face a 5% to 12% chance of damage from an earthquake in 2016, the report said. That is higher than virtually anywhere else in the mainland U.S. other than parts of California that are estimated to face the same risk -- but only for natural reasons. 4951