Kansas Earthquakes

The KGS presents these links to help people learn about seismicity, including earthquakes somehow created or triggered by actions of humans.

State of Kansas Seismic Action Plan from the Induced Seismicity State Task Force available as an Acrobat PDF.

Eos, 99

Fluid Injection Wells Can Have a Wide Seismic Reach, by Shelby L. Peterie, Richard D. Miller, Rex Buchanan, and Brandy DeArmond, April 2018

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, No. 3

Earthquakes in Kansas Induced by Extremely Far‐Field Pressure Diffusion, by Shelby L. Peterie Richard D. Miller John W. Intfen Julio B. Gonzales, February 2018

Public Information Circular 36

Induced Seismicity: The Potential for Triggered Earthquakes in Kansas, by Rex C. Buchanan, K. David Newell, Catherine S. Evans, Richard D. Miller, and Shelby L. Peterie, Revised Aug. 2015

Public Information Circular 37

Seismology and Its Applications in Kansas, by Shelby L. Peterie, Richard D. Miller, and Julian Ivanov, August 2014

Oct. 10, 2018, KDHE Fall Seminar

Earthquakes in Kansas Induced by Extremely Far-Field Pressure Diffusion, Shelby Peterie Richard Miller, David Newell, John Intfen, Julio Gonzales, Rex Buchanan, Brandy DeArmond

Oct. 10, 2018, KDHE Fall Seminar

Kansas Seismicity: Monitoring to Define Earthquake Trends and Characteristics, Shelby Peterie, Julio Gonzales, Brett Bennett, Brett Wedel, Joe Anderson, Anthony Hoch, John Intfen, Rex Buchanan, Rick Miller, and others

Sept. 1, 2017, presentation to KDHE

Update on Kansas Seismicity: A Year of Change, What Does it Mean?, KDHE Geology & Well Technology Section Fall 2017 Seminar/Tech Fair

Dec. 9, 2015, presentation in Wichita

Update on Induced Seismicity Studies by the Kansas Geological Survey, by Yevhen "Eugene" Holubnyak, W. Lynn Watney, Tandis Bidgoli, John Doveton, Mina Fazelalavi, Jennifer (Raney) Hollenbach, K. David Newell, and Tiraz Birdie (rev. Jan. 11, 2016)

Dec. 2, 2014, presentation in Wichita

Earthquakes in the southern midcontinent: What we know and what we need to know--Current research at KU and the Kansas Geological Survey, by W. Lynn Watney, Tandis S. Bidgoli, and Eugene Holubnyak

Jan. 20, 2016, testimony

Update on the issue of seismicity in Kansas, House Standing Committee on Energy and Environment

Hydraulic fracturing and induced seismicity in Kansas

Statement from the Kansas Geological Survey, April 3, 2013

KGS testimony and presentations, Jan. 26, 2015, House Standing Committee on Energy and Environment (Acrobat PDF files)

• Testimony
• Seismic Monitoring in Kansas
• Maps of selected 2014 earthquakes
• Charts of earthquake frequency, 2013-2015

From Kansas Corporation Commission

Second order reducing saltwater injection rates; Docket No. 15-CONS-770-CMSC, ordered Aug. 9, 2016, Acrobat PDF file

From Kansas Corporation Commission

Order reducing saltwater injection rates; Docket No. 15-CONS-770-CMSC, ordered March 19, 2015, Acrobat PDF file

From Kansas Corporation Commission

Induced Seismicity State Task Force; information on the Task Force, its meetings, and opportunities to comment on the Action Plan.

Scientific American

Drilling for Earthquakes, by Anna Kuchment. Scientists are increasingly confident about the link between earthquakes and oil and gas production, yet regulators are slow to react. March 28, 2016

U. S. Geological Survey

Induced Earthquakes Raise Chances of Damaging Shaking in 2016. For the first time, new USGS maps identify potential ground-shaking hazards from both human-induced and natural earthquakes. March 28, 2016

Stanford Center for Induced and Triggered Seismicity

Scientific Principles Affecting Protocols for Site-characterization and Risk Assessment Related to the Potential for Seismicity Triggered by Saltwater Disposal and Hydraulic Fracturing, by Randi Jean Walters, Mark D. Zoback, Jack W. Baker, Greg C. Beroza, Spring 2015, Acrobat PDF file

AGI--American Geosciences Institute

Induced Seismicity in the Midcontinent, Video webinar, Tuesday, April 7, 2015

The New Yorker, April 2015

Weather Underground: The arrival of man-made earthquakes; by Rivka Galchen

Oklahoma Geological Survey

OGS Position Statement--Oklahoma Earthquake Activity, Acrobat PDF, Feb. 2014. The OGS has additional info on triggered and induced seismicity

U. S. Geological Survey

Induced Earthquakes. Featured research projects from U.S.G.S., updated January 1, 2015.

U. S. Geological Survey

Incorporating Induced Seismicity in the 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model--Results of 2014 Workshop and Sensitivity Studies, by Mark D. Petersen, Charles S. Mueller, Morgan P. Moschetti, Susan M. Hoover, Justin L. Rubinstein, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, William L. Ellsworth, Arthur F. McGarr, Austin A. Holland, and John G. Anderson. Open-file Rept. 2015-1070, April 2015.

U. S. Geological Survey

Man-Made Earthquakes Update. Overview web page from U.S.G.S., updated January 17, 2014.

Geology, Geological Society of America

Potentially Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma, by Katie M. Keranen and others, March 2013

Science, American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science

Injection-Induced Earthquakes, by William L. Ellsworth, July 2013

Science, American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science

Enhanced Remote Earthquake Triggering at Fluid-Injection Sites in the Midwestern United States, by Nicholas J. van der Elst and others, July 2013

Earth Magazine

Managing the Seismic Risk Posed by Wastewater Disposal, by Mark D. Zoback, May 2012

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Induced Seismicity Primer. Web page exploring the causes and impacts of induced seismicity by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

National Academy of Sciences

Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies--Report in Brief, by Committee on Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies. Published June 2012, by National Academy of Sciences. Also available is the full report.

UOGR Digital Magazine

Understanding the science behind induced seismicity, Tayvis Dunnahoe, Editor, October 2013.

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Testimony, by Murray W. Hitzman, Colorado School of Mines; William Leith, U.S.G.S.; and Mark Zoback, Stanford University, June 2012