Study Confirms Link Between Mining and Earthquakes
posted in Amazing Facts, Devastation |
According to a recent study by by Christian D. Klose of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York, the most damaging earthquake in Australia’s history was caused by humans. The magnitude-5.6 quake that struck Newcastle, in New South Wales, on December 28, 1989, killed 13 people, injured 160, and caused 3.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of damage.
According to researchers that quake was caused by the changes in the earth caused by 200 years of underground coal mining. This intensity of the quake wasn’t enormous, but considering that Australia isn’t actually a seismically active place, it came as a surprise.
Over Burdening the Earth
The extraction of many millions of tons of coal from the area caused stress underground and triggered the Newcastle quake.
There has also been a significant amount of water being extracted along with the coal and this water is pumped out to avoid the flooding of these mines. For every ton of coal that is extracted around 4.3 times more water is extracted.
Quakes Caused by Humans
Coal mining is not the only reason why the earthquaakes are triggered. They are also caused by the construction of reservoirs and the production of oil and natural gas as well. Three of the largest human-caused earthquakes of all time were a trio that occurred in Uzbekistan’s Gazli natural gas field between 1976 and 1984
Each of the three had a magnitude greater than 6.8, and the largest had a magnitude of 7.3. Human-triggered earthquakes are very dangerous, especially in places that are not prone to earth quakes. this is because people in such areas are not prepared for the worst.