Human Activity and EarthquakesWhen Americans think of earthquakes, they tend to think of California, a state known for its frequent seismic activity. In recent years, however, people in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been feeling the ground shake more often. An increase in oil and gas drilling in these states has led to "human-induced" earthquakes—those resulting from human activity. When wastewater is disposed of during gas and oil drilling, the water is forced deep underground. The resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines (cracks in the Earth's crust) to shift. According to Mark Petersen, head of the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake hazard mapping project, "In the past five years, the USGS has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes."What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
Question
Human Activity and EarthquakesWhen Americans think of earthquakes, they tend to think of California, a state known for its frequent seismic activity. In recent years, however, people in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been feeling the ground shake more often. An increase in oil and gas drilling in these states has led to "human-induced" earthquakes—those resulting from human activity. When wastewater is disposed of during gas and oil drilling, the water is forced deep underground. The resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines (cracks in the Earth's crust) to shift. According to Mark Petersen, head of the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake hazard mapping project, "In the past five years, the USGS has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes."What is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
Solution
The main or central idea of the passage is that the increase in oil and gas drilling in certain states in the U.S. has led to a rise in "human-induced" earthquakes. These earthquakes are caused by the disposal of wastewater during drilling, which is forced deep underground, causing pressure build-up and shifting of fault lines.
Similar Questions
Read this excerpt from a passage and the works cited entry for the source listed below the excerpt. "Bill Richardson, a rancher that lives in the area that has been affected by the frequent earthquakes does not believe that they are a result of man-made causes. 'The thing is,' he states, 'oil and gas production are a big part of our economy, and I believe we are under attack by people who want to change that. So they made up this story about oil and gas drilling and fracking being the main cause of these earthquakes.'" Richardson, Bill. Personal interview. 5 Sep. 2016. Is this source credible or not credible, and why or why not? This person is not a credible source because he has not experienced an earthquake. This person is a credible source because he provides eyewitness testimony and has experienced the subject in question. This person is not a credible source because he is not an expert in the subject and expresses an unfounded opinion. The person is a credible source because he has a valid viewpoint that should be included in the passage.
What cause earthquakes?
Which of the following locations experiences 90% of Earth’s earthquakes?
Earthquakes are a type of ____ hazarda.Biologicalb.Culturalc.Chemicald.Physical
In what ways have seismic activities (earthquakes) and volcanic eruptions, which are examples of geologic events triggered by plate movements on Earth, impacted the evolution and dispersion of human civilizations and populations over the course of time?
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