Posted on 07/03/2010 4:10:34 PM PDT by EBH
Do an experiment for me. Take a balloon, inflate it. Get two books and place one on each side of the balloon opposite each other. Now deflate the balloon and notice what happens to the books. The books shift towards each other.
The massive pressurized oil and methane reserve now blowing out south of the Louisiana coast is just like a the deflating balloon. As this reserve empties a huge cavern is being created under the gulf floor. Usually these caverns are back filled with seawater as the oil is removed to stop a catastrophic collapse and make extracting the oil easier. Unfortunately the BP blow out is not being equalized in this manner.
Could the shifting walls of the oil cavern cause the earthquake swarms in Arkansas? Will the quakes grow in magnitude as more oil and methane is released? Could the shifting wall of the oil cavern destabilize the New Madrid fault? How big of a tsunami would be created if the oil cavern collapses?
(Excerpt) Read more at survivalistnews.com ...
The most recent earthquake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey on Thursday between Springdale and Rogers. It measured a 2.3 on the Richter Scale. Residents however didn’t report feeling the quake.
On May 20, a 2.6 earthquake was recorded near XNA in Benton County. And 2.5 quake shook the same area on April 25th.
In Central Arkansas, 36 earthquakes have been reported since June 2. The largest was a 3.3 on the Richter Scale.
Zero would have a real mess on his hands if that happens...
It’s not a cavern of oil. It’s oil locked inside rock and the humongous pressure squeezes the oil out through the well. Water replaces the oil squeezed out.
This is exactly the theory behind a devastating earthquake in Coalinga, California.
The New Madrid fault last had a major quake in the early 1800’s. It would be felt in Texas if another occurred.
That is what should happen under normal conditions. The report states it. Since this is not normal...what is back filling and is it fast enough?
The last one made church bells ring in Boston.
Check it out. http://quake.ualr.edu/public/nmfz.htm
Mere coincidence.
Strategerist, let’s hear your comment.
Ground water?
The type of soil involved would make it felt for a long way.
Zero would have a real opportunity on his hands if that happens...
I think this makes about as much sense as the left-wing wacko’s claim that Katrina was caused by global warming. But that’s a line they used, so what goes round, comes round...
Is there a FReeper Geologist around???
While I don't think he's a geologist, I do know he extensively researched the matter, and it's projected effects.
There is no cavern. The oil and gas is in sedimentary rock. Does the author also worry about Guam tipping over?
The Ozark plateau was pushed up by vulcanism. Igneous rocks are not aquifers that carry oil or water. There are sedimenary rocks on the top of the plateau, but that would not affect rocks 900+ feet above sea level.
Here is the USGS website;
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/
If you want to see a real earthquake cluster go look at the Imperial Valley which at times has shown over 1400 earthquakes showing for a week’s timeframe. That began long before the gulf blowout.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/27.37.-120.-110.php
There is no water replacing the oil and gas in this case. Everything seems to be unidirectional right now.
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