Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Seismicity Spikes And Earthquakes In Oklahoma: 2009-Present, Josh Bowser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Since 2009 the state of Oklahoma has experienced seismicity spikes pushing yearly totals of significant earthquakes from around 2 per year (in years prior) into the hundreds. The purpose of this paper is to present the history of Oklahoma’s problem with seismicity spikes, the science around the issue, and the governmental approaches to solving the problem. Experts in the field of seismology and geophysics have arrived at a consensus regarding induced seismicity in Oklahoma, but regulating associated industrial activity is an on-going political hot topic on which representatives and the public are divided. This project examines the regulatory approach of …