A 3.7-magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday morning in north-central Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was reported at 5:45 a.m. about 12 1/2 miles west of Perry, Oklahoma, the USGS says.
It hit about 3 miles below the surface.
The USGS recorded three other quakes of a lesser magnitude---3.1, 2.7 and 2.8 magnitudes---in late October.
A number of Oklahoma residents say they could feel the quake.
As NPR noted:
Oklahoma experienced one of its biggest earthquakes in state history last year, measured at a 5.6 magnitude.
Earthquakes in Oklahoma used to be rare and are a recent phenomenon. Scientists have linked earthquakes to the disposal process of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
“Seismic activity has surged in recent years,” Wertz says. “Scientists link the quake boom to the widespread oil industry practice of pumping waste fluid into underground disposal wells.”
But Joe Wertz reports that the quakes have become less frequent since regulators introduced new restrictions on disposal wells.
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