Quizzes & Puzzles9 mins ago
1.5 Magnitude Earthquake Due To Fracking.
18 Answers
They're getting bigger by the month. How much of a tremor is enough to stop?
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We’ve done this before, spathi.
“How much of a tremor is enough to stop?”
Not one of magnitude 1.5.
Earthquakes occur in the UK all the time. In the summer in a period of twelve weeks there were seven earthquakes in Surrey, all of which were stronger in magnitude than the one you mention, some more than twice as strong:
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Tremors of between 1.0 and 1.9 on the Richter scale are described as “Microearthquakes” and are very rarely felt by humans. They are detectable only by seismographs and several million occur worldwide every year. Some seismologists believe there are at least twenty of these shocks occurring every moment of every day across the globe. Extracting shale gas is bound to cause some seismic disturbance but to become hysterical over such minor events and suggest the activity should be abandoned is ludicrous.
“How much of a tremor is enough to stop?”
Not one of magnitude 1.5.
Earthquakes occur in the UK all the time. In the summer in a period of twelve weeks there were seven earthquakes in Surrey, all of which were stronger in magnitude than the one you mention, some more than twice as strong:
https:/
Tremors of between 1.0 and 1.9 on the Richter scale are described as “Microearthquakes” and are very rarely felt by humans. They are detectable only by seismographs and several million occur worldwide every year. Some seismologists believe there are at least twenty of these shocks occurring every moment of every day across the globe. Extracting shale gas is bound to cause some seismic disturbance but to become hysterical over such minor events and suggest the activity should be abandoned is ludicrous.
"NJ,surely a series of micro earthquakes will destabilise the site, making it more susceptible to a bigger tremor?"
They don't see to have done much destabilising in Surrey. Most of the dozen I mentioned occurred around the Gatwick area. I'm quite sure if there was the risk of a more significant event there some further investigations would have been made.
Many human activities involve a risk of some sort. To eliminate all such risk you would have to cease all such activity.
They don't see to have done much destabilising in Surrey. Most of the dozen I mentioned occurred around the Gatwick area. I'm quite sure if there was the risk of a more significant event there some further investigations would have been made.
Many human activities involve a risk of some sort. To eliminate all such risk you would have to cease all such activity.
There is a letter in this week's Private Eye which, amongst other things, points out that the largest measured tremor at a fracking site is 1.1, whereas quarry blasting regularly produces tremors of 2.0 or more.
Source quoted in letter: "Smallest Earthquake Magnitude that Can Trigger Liquefaction", Green and Bommer, 2018; That paper (which I haven't read) can be found here :- https:/
Source quoted in letter: "Smallest Earthquake Magnitude that Can Trigger Liquefaction", Green and Bommer, 2018; That paper (which I haven't read) can be found here :- https:/
I think spathi was thinking of "stopped entirely - forever - never to be restarted", Balders. Yes, if a tremor of 0.5 or more is detected fracking is suspended whilst "tests are carried out". Quite why is anybody's guess - as Canary has pointed out, even quarry blasting regularly produces tremors of 2.0 and nobody suggests the quarry should be closed. A tremor of 0.5 is virtually undetectable except with very sensitive equipment.
NJ after a magnitude of over 0.5 they have to stop, and do tests / investigations
Ummm, fracking is a process where we drill into the ground, and blast it with high pressured water in the hope to release gasses. This of course leaves 'gaps' which, when not filled can cause very small sink holes and cause earth "tremors" (quakes)
Ummm, fracking is a process where we drill into the ground, and blast it with high pressured water in the hope to release gasses. This of course leaves 'gaps' which, when not filled can cause very small sink holes and cause earth "tremors" (quakes)
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