The Ultimate Resources For Learning about Oklahoma Earthquakes

Having grown up in Oklahoma, I had never felt an earthquake until 2001 in Tulsa. While Oklahoma had experienced earthquakes prior to that time, they were few and far between, and too small for most people to feel. Today though, we experience dozens of earthquakes in a day, with many of them large enough to cause damage.

Check out the resources below to help your students learn about this recent phenomena.

Updated

• Mike Soraghan, a reporter based in Washington, D.C., submitted a list of Oklahoma earthquake articles curated on his website that were published in EnergyWire, an online publication that covers “energy and environmental policy and markets.”
• An EarthquakeJournal kept by a Stillwater resident and anti-fracking activist.

Articles

• Earthquake swarm continues shaking Oklahoma
• Scientists concerned small earthquakes may point to larger one
• Earthquake swarm may foretell larger quake
• Storm-related power outage may have caused earthquake
• Oklahoma seismic activity unheard of
• Oklahoma quakes leads to calls for energy firm restrictions
• Oklahoma earthquakes called a national security threat
• Central Oklahoma hit with aftershocks following 2011 Sparks 5.6 magnitude earthquake
• Experts say earthquakes stronger than fracking tremors

Scientific Reports

• Examination of Possibly Induced Seismicity from Hydraulic Fracturing in the Eola Field, Garvin  County, Oklahoma
• The Nemaha Trend—A System of Compressional Thrust-Fold, Strike-Slip Structural Features in Kansas and Oklahoma

Videos

• Why Oklahoma has more earthquakes than California
• Oklahoma earthquakes and the rise of fracking
• Oklahoma Geological Survey provides context on earthquake problem

Interactives

• Map of recent Oklahoma earthquakes
• Social media responds to Oklahoma earthquake
• Today’s earthquakes in Oklahoma
• @OklaEarthquake Twitter profile
• @EarthquakesOKC Twitter profile
• @Quake-TrackerOK Twitter profile

Lesson Ideas

• For bellwork, as students to write about their personal experiences with Oklahoma earthquakes
• Share your personal experiences with earthquakes in Oklahoma, or earthquakes in general
• Ask students to share the personal experiences with Oklahoma earthquakes from their bellwork
• Watch videos and discussion causes of earthquakes
• Read articles discussing earthquake causes and responses
• Ask students to find more resources and write an argumentative essay about how to prevent Oklahoma earthquakes
• Ask students to write a short story about their personal experience with earthquakes
• Ask students to evaluate the evidence related to fracking and Oklahoma earthquakes

If you know of more resources for learning about Oklahoma earthquakes, please share them in the comments below.