Shake, Rattle and Roll

For those of us who live along the Pacific Coast, we are aware that an earthquake could strike at any moment. Over the past century, more damaging earthquakes have occurred out here than anywhere else in the continental United States. Recently, however, another region and one town in particular have been garnering a lot of attention for the shaking earth: Guy, Arkansas.

Over the course of the past 6 months, over 800 earthquakes have rattled this small Arkansas community. While the area is near the New Madras Fault Line, it is not located with in it. The New Madras is an active fault line having recorded more than 4,000 small quakes in the past 36 years. Still, that only works out to around 115 quakes per year in an area that covers parts of 4 states.

So, what could be causing the ground around Guy to shake, rattle and roll with consistent frequency?

The answer is fracking (hydraulic fracturing).

Of course, that's not the "official" explanation. The authorities are studying the issue and the corporations responsible for the facking are loathe to say that their irresponsible conduct impacts the situation at all.

But when one considers that two companies -- Chesapeake Energy and Clarita Operating -- have wells that forcibly inject wastewater thousands of feet below the surface near the town of Guy, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the cause!!