An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.1 shook communities in at least five states on Friday evening.
According to US Geological Survey data, the earthquake occurred around 11:30 pm local time and was centered near the city of Prague in central Oklahoma.
Several people took to social media after the event and described hearing walls crack and also a loud explosion.
There were no immediate reports of damage in the first hours after the earthquake, but the USGS warned that the threat of aftershocks would continue for some time.
A series of earthquakes rocked metro Oklahoma City less than a month ago, with the most significant being a magnitude-4.4.
Based on preliminary estimates, Friday’s earthquake ranks among the four largest events to affect Soon State since 1900.
The 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the state in 2016 caused moderate damage in north-central Oklahoma, and studies have linked the event to the injection of wastewater from oil and gas production.
The USGS has previously noted that many earthquakes across the southern plains have been linked to human activity.
A series of earthquakes rocked metro Oklahoma City less than a month ago, with the most significant being a magnitude-4.4. Shutterstock
The agency says fracking – the process of injecting water, sand or chemicals into the ground to break up bedrock to reach oil and gas reserves – can trigger earthquakes and affect groundwater.
It is too early to determine whether human activity played a role in the recent earthquakes.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
