It has been recorded that human activity can directly cause artificial earthquakes, with the numbers of such events increasing every year in proportion to the growth of destructive human impact on the planet. Artificial earthquakes, also known as induced seismicity, have been linked with many human interventions, especially in industrial sectors, such as mining, water pollution, oil and gas fracking, and a multitude of other detrimental activities. However, certain academics note that the presentation of the issue, especially by media and news outlets, is often unrestrained, restricted by a lack of scholarly expertise, or otherwise not entirely honest to the findings.
A literature review that analyzed the media attention towards induced seismicity concerning state policy and gas and oil fracking in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. The research found that the exposure was either insufficient or goes beyond the offered data (Fisk et al., 2017). The point has merit as it exposes inadequacies in which the public will perceive the actual impact of induced seismicity, whether the news outlet emphasizes or downplays the issue. In this particular case, the review argues that the induced seismicity origin of human impact is overstated. Researchers and academics may agree that insufficient or incorrect media intervention in the field of induced seismicity is a drawback. Those within the industry of oil and gas fracking may agree with this viewpoint.
However, despite the media intervention being inadequate, the review also downplays the impact of human activity on induced seismic activity. It has been frequently cited that activities such as oil and gas fracking do have a connection with artificial earthquakes, and this relation cannot be ignored. Current hydraulic fracking which often occurs in the collection of gases and oil has shown to have higher propensities of seismic events, an essential argument for the relevance of human impact of induced seismicity (Zang et al., 2019).
As such, while the literature review makes an essential assessment of wrongful analysis of data in media, it is not reflected in the interpretation of the interconnectedness of human impact on artificial earthquakes. Consulting data that shows the observable interconnectedness of human activity and earthquakes will provide more merit and validity than the prior argument.
References
Fisk, J. M., Davis, C., & Cole, B. (2017). “Who Is at ‘Fault?’” The Media and the Stories of Induced Seismicity. Politics & Policy, 45(1), 31-50. Web.
Zang, A., Zimmerman, G., Hofmann, H., Stephansson, O., Min, K., & Kim, K. (2019). How to Reduce Fluid-Injection-Induced Seismicity. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 52, 475–493. Web.