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Essential question

What is the environmental impact of the energy industry in the U.S.?

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A sharp increase in the number of earthquakes Oklahoma has experienced in recent years has state officials looking for ways to control the suspected culprits — the state’s oil and gas industry. Last year, Oklahoma experienced more than 900 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 3.0. That makes a considerable change from before 2009, when only a handful of earthquakes of that size hit the state each year. One possible reason for the surge in seismic activity is the salty wastewater injected back into the earth as a result of oil and gas drilling methods like fracking, according to Oklahoma State University Geology Professor Todd Halihan. Halihan said the wastewater, a byproduct of oil drilling, reduces friction between faults in the ground, releasing pent up energy and causing the earth to shake. Some remain hesitant to cast blame. President of the Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association Chad Warmington said the connection between wastewater injections and quakes does not necessarily prove they are the cause. On Thursday, Oklahoma Governor Fallin announced she would direct $1.4 million in state emergency funds to analyze the rise in earthquakes.

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Key terms

magnitude —  a measurement of the amount of energy released during an earthquake fracking — the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas seismicity — the occurrence or frequency of earthquakes in a region

Warm up questions ( before watching the video)

1. What typically causes earthquakes?


2. What are some of the ways oil and gas are extracted from underground?


3. Who oversees the environmental impact of these methods?

Critical thinking questions ( after watching the video)

1. Why have earthquakes in Oklahoma become a concern to residents and state officials?


2. What can the state of Oklahoma do to force energy companies to comply with wastewater and other restrictions?


3. Why is the oil and gas industry so closely aligned with Oklahoma’s economy?