On Wednesday, January 29 at 9:26 p.m., a relatively stronger earthquake of 4.5 magnitudes was recorded in Falls City, Texas, located southeast of San Antonio. While small earthquakes are not uncommon in South Texas, this particular event stands out for its slightly higher intensity compared to typical occurrences in the area.
South Texas experienced its third strongest earthquake on record, although it was still classified as a light earthquake. In the past, there was a 4.8 magnitude quake in 2011 and a 4.7 magnitude quake in February 2024 near Falls City.
There were three earthquakes reported in Texas on Wednesday, as stated by mysanantonio.com. These included a 3.1 magnitude earthquake outside of Snyder, Texas, and a 2.6 magnitude earthquake near the Texas/New Mexico border.
Why does this happen?
Many people attribute the recent increase in earthquakes to fracking. However, according to the official response from the USGS, while earthquakes are not directly caused by hydraulic fracturing, the two are connected. The main cause of the recent increase in earthquakes is actually the disposal of waste fluids that come from oil production. It is important to note that wastewater disposal wells, which operate for longer and inject larger volumes of fluid than the hydraulic fracturing process, are more likely to induce earthquakes.
