| After two minor earthquakes shook the earth in Gilmer County within two weeks in close proximity to Marcellus drilling and fracking operations, Ron
McDowell, a geologist at the WV Geological and Economical Survey, says the quakes are not connected to human activity, including nearby injection wells in Braxton County.
Braxton County has experienced about ten minor earthquakes.
McDowell says the quakes are too deep to blame on nearby injection wells.
In several other states, experts contend that some earthquakes have been caused by drilling activity. (See Links)
McDowell says an array of seismic monitors installed throughout the state was able to determine the depth of recent quakes.
"They are deep. The first one was 69,000 feet from the surface. The second one was 41,000 feet from the surface," or about 10 miles down.
McDowell says it is not likely that a horizontal well had anything to do with with the quakes, indicating they are related to
stresses that have been built up for billions of years.
"Every once in a while those rocks let loose to relieve some of the stress," he said.
McDowell says he suspects it has to do with tectonic events that occurred over 2 billion years ago.
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