USGS Calls for More Data to Understand Relationship Between Earthquakes and Injection Disposal Activities

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) noted in a recent article published in Science magazine that over the last few years earthquakes have become more frequent in the central and eastern United States, which in some instances appear to coincide with the injection of industrial wastewater in deep disposal wells.  To better understand the relationship between earthquakes and injection disposal activities, USGS recommends improvements in the collection and reporting of injection data to regulatory agencies, with a focus on daily reporting of injection volumes, peak and average injection pressures.