Earthquake Shakes Garden City Overnight

GARDEN CITY, TX — A minor earthquake shook Garden City overnight, registering a magnitude of 2.2 on the Richter scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake, considered light in magnitude, occurred at 11:38 p.m. and had a depth of just over six miles. The epicenter was located approximately 16.8 miles southwest of Garden City in Glasscock County.

Earthquake reports in West Texas have become more frequent, prompting the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and natural gas industry, to investigate possible links to fracking activities. Some scientists are concerned that the disposal of brackish, prehistoric saltwater—produced alongside fracked oil—is contributing to seismic instability in the region.

This saltwater, which surfaces in quantities ranging from 5 to 20 barrels for every barrel of oil, cannot be disposed of on the surface and is instead pumped back underground, according to a report by USA Today.

The USGS continues to monitor seismic activity in West Texas. For a review of recent earthquakes in the area, visit the USGS Earthquake Map here.