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Expert: Quakes likely had common epicenter
TweetBy Karl Henkel
YOUNGSTOWN
A seismologist says all 12 Mahoning Valley earthquakes likely had the same epicenter, contrary to original seismic data.
Won-Young Kim, a seismologist for the Lamont- Doherty Cooperative Seismic Network, said Tuesday that it is likely all earthquakes centered near a brine-injection well in Youngstown had similar epicenters, much closer to the well, a fact unknown until the 10th and 11th earthquakes Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
“That is probably the case,” Kim said. “The location is much tighter. We know within a few hundred meters.”
Kim said there was not enough seismic data to determine precise epicenters of the first nine earthquakes because there was only one seismograph in the region — at Youngstown State University — but that 20 to 30 regional seismographs somewhat accurately pinpointed locations.
Original seismic data pinpointed epicenters within a 3-mile radius.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources in December sought out Lamont-Doherty, at Columbia University in New York, to install four additional portable seismographs.
Lamont-Doherty installed the technology to determine with accuracy an earthquake’s depth; seismologists say multiple stations are needed to pinpoint precise depths. The Dec. 31 quake had a depth of about 2 miles, much shallower than previously recorded quakes.
Beginning last March, 12 earthquakes of small but varying magnitudes struck near a brine-injection well owned by Youngstown-based D&L Energy Inc.
The 11th, on New Year’s Eve, registered as a magnitude-4.0, the strongest of the dozen quakes.
The D&L well and five others remain shuttered pending the results of ODNR research, expected to be released later this week.
D&L on Tuesday referenced a third party that will “conduct extensive geological and seismic studies” near the well.
“This study will be comprehensive and utilize the best science available,” spokesman Vince Bevacqua said. “The resulting data will be much more extensive than the limited information currently available. It is hoped the new data will address issues of true seismic causation, not just location.”
Comments
I don't mean this in a smart alec way but is it possible that these small quakes could actually be settling fault lines that could of potentially produced larger quakes in the future. If any geologists with expertise in this area read this, please reply. I do not recommend this as a means of stabilizing the rock formations but just curious as to whether there is any positive result from the quakes.
Howard Markert -- Green Party Candidate for Mahoning County Commissioner
On the subject of the Youngstown Earthquakes and the Class II injection wells used for the disposal oil & gas drilling waste:
"The main thing about the D&L well, and the wells near Newport Ohio where earthquakes are also occurring, that is different from the other Class II injection wells in Ohio with no history of quakes is that they are NEW wells drilled into a deeper layer of the Earth's crust. Almost all of the Class II wells in Ohio are old oil or gas wells that have been modified to be an injection well and are between 2000 and 6000 feet in depth. D&L's wells (most are not online yet) are deeper at 8000 to 9500 feet in depth into a formation that will absorb more waste fluids faster."
"ODNR has always claimed that there has never been seismic issues with any Class II wells in Ohio, and up until these new deeper wells that was true. However, a point of clarification needs to be made, Class II wells are only used for disposal of oil and gas drilling fluids "brine" as they like to call it, and Class I injection wells are used to dispose of "Hazardous Waste" (this consists of contaminated water, chemicals, and toxic liquid waste including radioactive waste) from other industries and government agencies (military, research, medical, Dept. of Energy, etc.). Class I wells are always drilled into deeper formations, from 8000 to 12,000 feet deep, and because of this, there is a history of Class I wells and induced earthquakes (Ashtabula in Ohio, and many others). My point being that other than where the liquid waste comes from, there is virtually no difference from these new deeper Class II wells and the Class I wells which have a long history of earthquake activity. This is a point that ODNR officials and D&L always new, but never shared with the public."