WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A pair of 4.7 and 4.8 magnitude earthquakes shook northwest Oklahoma late Wednesday just 30 seconds apart, which were also felt in the southern part of the state and in central Kansas, the Weather Channel reported.
Oklahoma has been hit with an unusually high number of earthquakes over the past year, which many say are a result of the state’s uptick in fracking.
According to reports, in 2015 alone Oklahoma experienced some 907 earthquakes of a magnitude of 3.0 or higher, up from about 584 in 2014 and only 42 in 2010.
Fracking is a highly controversial method of drilling for natural gas that requires injecting chemicals into the ground, which has been heavily criticized for its associated environmental risks and potential to trigger tremors.
