The epicenter was located at Carlsbad’s 53 km (population 98), 85 km (53 miles) seconds (population 28 957), and 133 km (83 miles) s (population 12 036) .
352 000 people feel a slight shaking, and 592 000 people feel weak.
The USGS issued a green alert on deaths and economic losses related to trembling. The chances of casualties and damages are low.
Overall, the population of this region exists in structures that are vulnerable but resistant to earthquake shaking. The main types of fragile buildings are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry structures.
Sixteen aftershocks were recorded over the next five hours, ranging from M1.4 to M3.8, with depths ranging from 3.4 to 7.1 km (2.1 to 4.4 miles).
USGS is predicting a 52% chance of an M3+ aftershock within next week.
Earthquakes of this size are relatively uncommon in the central United States, including Texas, but are not unprecedented. In recent years, it has been linked to human activities such as wastewater injections from oil and gas operations.
Wastewater injection, a major cause of Texas-induced seismic activity, increases underground pore pressure when large amounts of liquid are pumped deep into the waste well. This additional pressure can reduce friction along existing faults, making them more likely to slip and generate earthquakes.
Unlike hydraulic fracturing with short bursts of liquid injection, wastewater treatment is continuous and stress accumulates over time.
When liquids move through underground rock formations, they can reach critically stressful faults that may not have moved naturally for thousands of years. If pressure changes are important enough, these faults can slip and cause earthquakes.
The depth and location of these induced earthquakes often correspond to the injection site, but can also occur several miles away due to the complex nature of the movement of the subterranean fluid.
Seismicity in Texas has increased significantly over the past 20 years, particularly in areas with widespread oil and gas activity. The Permian Basin in western Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, and the portion of the Barnett Shale near the Dallas-Fort Worth area have seen a significant increase in seismicity and research through the USGS and the Texas Earthquake Network (TEXNET). Many of these events are likely to be induced.
Natural structural activity occurs in Texas, but a rapid increase in seismic events has occurred since the expansion of unconventional drilling methods suggested a strong link between oil and gas operations and earthquake occurrence.
Regulators respond by monitoring injection wells more closely, and in some cases shutting down or limiting large amounts of waste sites related to seismic activity. However, as long as deep-sea injections remain common practice, the possibility of induced earthquakes persists.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Exposed selected cities
References:
1 m 5.0 – 53 km NW, Toyah, Texas – USGS – February 15, 2025
