Nine earthquakes rattled the Dallas County city of Irving, Texas over a period of 24 hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The city includes the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the headquarters of both Nokia America and NEC Corporation of America. According to the U.S. Geological Survey the earthquakes ranged in magnitude from 1.6 to 3.6. No major damage or injuries were reported. Since late October, a total of 25 earthquakes have shaken North Texas.
SMU seismologist Dr. Brian Stump told local radio station KDFW that disposed wastewater could be a factor. “When they recover the oil and gas, there’s fluids with … there’s water with that, and they have to separate the water, and then they have to dispose of the water,” said Stump. “Historically, it has shown that in some places that they’ve triggered small to moderate earthquakes.”