Texas rocked by wave of earthquakes in 24 hours

Texas was struck by a series of earthquakes on Thursday, the strongest of which registered a magnitude of 3.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake was detected at 9:01 a.m. in the western part of the state, about 30 kilometers from the town of Mentone. A second quake, measuring 2.3, occurred in the same area two hours later.

No structural damage was reported following the 3.3-magnitude tremor, and the USGS noted that it recorded around a dozen minor seismic events in total.

The quakes are believed to have been caused by human activity, particularly oil and gas extraction. These operations often trigger seismic events due to the injection of wastewater into the ground.

Texas is the largest oil-producing state in the U.S., accounting for 42% of the nation’s crude oil output.

A 2022 study by the University of Texas at Austin found that 68% of earthquakes in Texas with a magnitude above 1.5 were “strongly associated” with oil and gas production.

(QG - Source: The Daily Mail - Picture : © Unsplash)