What You Should Know About the Earthquakes Felt in North Texas

Earthquakes that struck West Texas last month have shaken Scurry County and surrounding areas. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded more than 100 earthquakes in one week.

The earthquake was felt more than 200 miles away in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Near Snyder, dozens of residents reported property damage. Geophysicists say the quakes are likely caused by oil and gas operations, a phenomenon that has been occurring in Texas for decades.

Here are four things to know about last month's earthquakes, including safety tips, what's behind them and how to prevent them.

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Who is affected?

Last month, a cluster of earthquakes was reported in roughly the same area around Scurry and Fisher counties. Snyder, the capital of Scurry County, is about 260 miles west of Dallas.

The largest earthquake was recorded on July 26 with a magnitude of 5.1, and five other earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4 were recorded.

On the Richter scale, an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 5 is classified as moderate and is felt by everyone in the area. Depending on the scale classification, earthquakes of this magnitude can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings.

The Scurry County judge issued a disaster declaration and asked for state assistance on July 26 after he said more than 60 earthquakes had struck the area in seven days. Following the declaration, the U.S. Geological Survey reported several more quakes, and U.S. Geological Survey data shows more than 100 earthquakes in the area in a week.

The earthquakes damaged buildings, homes and infrastructure, according to a Facebook post from the Snyder City Emergency Management Office.

“This includes potential hazards such as weak foundations, cracked walls and damaged utility lines,” the post said.

Scurry County posted on Facebook on July 26 that more than 50 reports of damage following the recent earthquakes had been received. No injuries were reported, according to a statement from the Scurry County Sheriff's Office.

County officials encouraged residents to continue reporting damage and check structures for new cracks in siding, brick, foundations, drywall and shingles.

What causes earthquakes?

The recent earthquakes are likely linked to oil and gas extraction operations, according to geophysicists.

Scurry County is located on the eastern edge of the Permian Basin, a large sedimentary basin in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The area is a highly productive oil field, which has led the country to increase crude oil and natural gas production in recent years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

West Texas has a long history of earthquakes caused by oil and gas operations dating back to at least the 1970s, says Robert Skomal, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Skomal said the earthquakes in this area were initially caused by “water flooding,” where water is injected into fields where production has declined to raise fluid pressures and allow more oil to be produced.

In the early 2000s, Skomal said the earthquakes were caused by a process similar to injecting carbon dioxide into the fields.

“Given the lack of natural seismic activity and the long history of induced earthquakes in the area, it is likely that these recent earthquakes were also caused by oil and gas operations,” Skomal wrote in an email to The Dallas Morning News on July 29.

Wastewater disposal also plays a role, says Heather DeShon, a professor of geophysics at Southern Methodist University and an expert on earthquakes. While new technologies have changed the process of extracting oil and gas, they also create a huge amount of wastewater, which can’t be recycled and is injected deep into the ground.

“This process in turn reactivates really old faults,” DeShon said. “Earthquakes basically release energy left over from when the faults formed hundreds of thousands of years ago.”

How to prevent earthquakes

To prevent earthquakes and their effects in the region, DeShon said more research is needed to understand where fault lines are, how wide they are, and how much water or wastewater injection rate leads to an earthquake. That research could help shape regulations to mitigate earthquakes and reduce their magnitude.

The Texas Railroad Commission, a state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, has designated seismic response zones in the wake of larger earthquakes in the Permian Basin. The commission has set rules that specify how much water can be pumped and what information oil and gas companies must report.

The commission is still investigating the events that occurred two weeks ago in and around Scurry County, DeShon said. The commission may require companies to operate in shallow rock formations, reduce the amount of water injected or provide more information about their operations.

While Scurry is not a designated earthquake response zone, there have been earthquakes in the area since 2020, DeShon said. In July, the commission shut down two deep waste disposal wells in the Scurry County area after inspections, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported.

Simply halting oil and gas operations may not eliminate earthquakes in the region, DeShon said. The cumulative history of wastewater injection from different operators into the ground’s rock formations makes the impacts of oil and gas operations more complex.

“It's not like turning off a faucet,” DeShon said. “If you turn it off, the problem doesn't go away because the fluids you're putting in there still have pressure attached to them.”

FILE – A flare burns methane and other hydrocarbons as oil pumps operate in the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck West Texas on Friday, July 26, 2024. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was very likely caused by oil and gas activity. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) (David Goldman/AP)

DeShon believes the statewide seismic network, which began collecting data in Texas in 2017, was an important step toward better monitoring and understanding earthquakes. She also believes that requiring the oil and gas industry to provide more data about its operations could help ensure safer practices.

“In Texas, it would be naive to think that oil and gas production is going to disappear completely,” DeShon said. “So it’s about providing the data and information needed to design safer operations.”

How to stay safe

If you feel an earthquake, DeShon said the first thing you should remember to do is stop, duck and hold on. Hide under a table to protect your head from falling objects, and hold on to it for support.

Don’t leave the building until the shaking stops. In a moderate earthquake like the one in Texas, one of the biggest risks is damage to the facade from unreinforced bricks, DeShon said. That means it’s important to avoid falling bricks and stay inside until the quake is over.

The USGS also recommends moving to an interior hallway or wall if you are indoors and avoiding objects that could fall or break. If you are outdoors, the USGS recommends staying away from buildings, power lines and chimneys.

After an earthquake, the USGS says it's important to check for injuries and hazards, such as gas leaks, damaged electrical wires and utility lines, and fallen objects. Aftershocks can continue after an earthquake.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends inspecting the exterior of buildings after an earthquake for signs of foundation damage, such as crushing, cracking, buckling, separation, or “soft” flooring, which indicates damage underneath. The agency also advises people to check their chimneys, stairwells, windows, and sewer and water lines for damage.

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