Study lays groundwork for management of human-induced earthquakes

Earthquakes brought on by human activities, such as mining, building dams and fracking, are becoming more frequent and require evidence-based management, new research suggests. In a study led by Professor Gillian Foulger of the Department of Earth Sciences , and published in the journal Earth Science Reviews , researchers compiled a comprehensive record of over 700 earthquakes claimed to have been caused by human activity over the last 150 years. The research team found that the number of reported cases, and the largest recorded strength of a human-induced earthquake, have both increased during this time. Understanding human impacts on seismic activity The team's work shows that the full extent of activities which may induce earthquakes is wider than generally appreciated. Professor Foulger said: "Any human activity that influences or disrupts stress in the Earth's crust even slightly can affect seismic activity. "This can include a range of activities like mining, building dams or heavy buildings and extracting materials such as oil, gas or ground-water, as well as injecting materials into the Earth's subsurface, for example waste water." As part of the project the records studied by the team have been brought together into an innovative new database called HiQuake , to help improve understanding of human induced seismic activity. Improved management The research team, which also included experts from Newcastle University, found that the largest reported induced earthquake had increased with time from magnitude 6.3 in 1933 (in California) to magnitude 8 in 2008 (in China).