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 Irving was shaken by nine quakes on Tuesday and into Wednesday,
including three measuring magnitude 3.6, 3.5, and 3.1, the U.S.
Geological Survey said. The quakes were the strongest in a series of
about 20 minor quakes to hit around the stadium area since
September.
Five smaller quakes registering between 1.6 and 2.9 were recorded on
Tuesday in the suburb. Another 1.7 magnitude quake was recorded in
the nearby city of Farmers Branch late on Tuesday night, according
to the USGS.
There were no immediate reports of injury or damage.
But the seismic series has left residents on edge, wondering whether
the situation will get worse and what has been behind an uptick in
quakes over the last several years.
"The safety and security of our residents is paramount for the city
of Irving," said Irving City Manager Chris Hillman.
Some residents believe the implosion of Texas Stadium in 2010 may
have exacerbated problems. There is also speculation the quakes
might be related to hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," an energy
extraction technique that has a long history in north Texas.
Irving, headquarters of Exxon Mobil's XTO unit that helped pioneer
hydraulic fracturing in the region, has two gas wells that were
fracked in 2010, according to city officials.
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The study by seismologists from Southern Methodist University in
Dallas is aimed at pinpointing the quakes' epicenters, said SMU
seismology professor Brian Stump.
About 40 miles west of Irving, a series of small earthquakes rattled
the town of Azle a year ago, causing sinkholes and cracks in house
foundations. Residents blamed fracking and injection disposal wells
for drilling waste as the cause, but an official finding is still
pending.
Energy industry officials have said fracking is safe and causes no
significant seismic damage.
(Additional reporting by Lisa Maria Garza in Dallas; Writing by Jon
Herskovitz; Editing by Curtis Skinner, Doina Chiacu, Sandra Maler
and Tom Heneghan)
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