The Science Of Earthquakes And The Geology Of The State

The One and Only Oklahoma Robert Adams GEO 101 – Earth Science Colorado State University – Global Campus Heather Hill November 22, 2014 The One and Only Oklahoma Oklahoma is home to some of the most interesting geological and meteorological phenomenon in the world. From savage tornados that have notoriously ripped through small towns destroying everything in their path, to devastating earthquakes that can be felt miles away - Oklahoma is very unique in its geological make up and is also positioned right in the middle of a meteorological hotspot for severe weather. Having just moved here, I am going to examine the causes and science behind an increasingly large amount of powerful earthquakes. In order to do this I will examine†¦show more content†¦It is believed that the pressure caused by these reservoirs can cause a fault to slip creating the tremor (New World, 2014). Faults – A fault is defined as a thin zone of crushed rock that separates chunks of the earth’s crust. When an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips. When stresses in the earth’s outer layer push the sides of the fault together, the friction holds them together so they do not slip immediately. However, eventually once enough pressure is applied, the rocks slip swiftly causing energy to disperse in waves that travel through the rock to cause the shaking that is felt during an earthquake. Once this slip takes place the earthquake will continue to shake the ground until something stops the fault from continuing to slip which is usually more crushed rock that will apply enough pressure to keep it from moving. Faults can be centimeters to thousands of miles long making them incredibly difficult to study (Earthquake Country, 2014). Aftershock – Once an earthquake strikes, a series of events follow known as aftershocks. Aftershocks are small earthquakes that occur as a result of the stress caused from the main shock with most aftershocks occurring on the same fault. It has been found that typically if an earthquake is large enough to cause damage, a series of