Is fracking the reason why Oklahoma now has more earthquakes a year than CALIFORNIA? Geologists descend on state to test if controversial drilling to blame



Is fracking behind the exponential increase in earthquakes suffered across Oklahoma?



That is the question the US Geological Survey wants to know the answer to because as of last month, Oklahoma surpassed California in the number of earthquakes experienced over the past five years.



As of June 16, 2014, California - the home of the infamous San Andreas fault - registered 140 quakes of 3.0-magnitude or greater, which is in stark contrast to Oklahoma's 207.

Scroll Down for Video



Huge increase: Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma now experience more earthquakes a year than California

Indeed, while the cause of the radical increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma has not been definitively answered, experts do agree that they are now part of the fabric of life across the Great Plains, along with other natural phenomenon such as tornadoes.



While the experts at the Oklahoma Geographic Survey and the USGS admit that the earthquakes in California are far stronger and deeper underground than those in Oklahoma, therein lies the finger of suspicion being pointed at fracking.

The controversial method of gas and oil extraction is being monitored by the Oklahoma GS by a network of 15 permanent stations and 17 temporary stations.



They are working to discover if fracking's high pressure water pumping 5,000 to 20,000 feet into the shallow earth's crust is to blame for the seismic instability.

Rise: IN 2009, Oklahoma experienced a relatively few number of earthquakes. This test began in June, 2009

Massive rise: By April 2014, the Great Plains state had experienced more than 3,000 earthquakes

In short, fracking operates like this: A well is drilled and water, sand and chemicals is pumped at speed and pressure into the well to create cracks which allow the gas or oil to escape.



The sand particles pumped in at high pressure keep these cracks open thereby ensuring a constant line of gas.



However, the gas and the water is drawn back up to the surface and then the water is pumped back down in a circular process.



USGS geophysicist Rob Williams told CNN that this process could be the cause of the increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma.



'Given the rate of earthquakes over the last six months,' Williams said, 'it's concerning enough to be worried about a larger, damaging earthquake happening.'

Cause? The rise in the number of earth tremors has coincided with the rise of fracking in Oklahoma

On Saturday and Sunday this very weekend, there were seven earthquakes in Oklahoma.



The largest one was a 4.3 tremor in Langston, north of Oklahoma city. No damage or injuries were reported.



From 1978 to 2008, Oklahoma was struck with an average of two quakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater.



In the time period, June 2009 to June 19, 2014, there were 207 such quakes recorded in the state, the USGS said.



The increase began five years ago when 20 quakes of 3.0 magnitude or higher occurred, followed by 43 the next year and increasing every year except for 2012.



This corresponds with the beginning of fracking in the state.

