Essay On Oklahoma County Earthquake

Oklahoma County has not been really active. Before the earthquake swarm started in the Jones area, there was only 7 earthquakes per year in Oklahoma County. But, since the Jones swarm started, there are a few hundred earthquakes per year. And, since January 2009, eastern Oklahoma County has been shaking off and on. Most of the quakes are around Jones, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Geological Survey was interested in the 10,000 percent increase in seismic activity. Austin Holland, a seismologist for the OGS, went to Jones to see what was going on. He was not sure if this increase in seismic activity was unusual or if it was part of the natural rhythm of the earth. There are three types of waves created in an earthquake. A primary wave or a P-wave is a compressional wave and how it moves is comparable to the way sound travels in air. P-waves also move really fast about 6 kilometers per second in the crust of the earth. Secondary waves or S-waves travel back and forth. In the Jones area, people hear and sometimes feel P-waves. It is high frequency and shakes things. But, the big shaking they feel is …show more content…
Most people from Jones do not really think about earthquakes anymore. They think that the earthquakes will stop just as randomly as the swarms started. Even though large earthquakes in Oklahoma are unlikely it is still a possibility. The Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages people that are inside during an earthquake to stay indoors and take cover under a solid piece of furniture. People that are outside during an earthquake should stay out in the open away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. Drivers that are driving during an earthquake should pull over and stop away from buildings, trees, overpasses, and power lines. Most injuries happen from what is falling and not from what is