Heather DeShon, Earth Sciences, new study finds that the fault that produced North Texas’ largest quake could produce an even bigger one

The  town that experienced a 4-magnitude earthquake in May 2015 — the strongest quake ever recorded in North Texas  — sits on a fault with the potential to produce an event 10 times larger,  suggests a new study led by scientists at Southern Methodist University.

The report also concluded there was “substantial evidence” that the quake, near the Johnson County town of Venus, was triggered by the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas operations.

The study was the latest to investigate North Texas’ earthquake surge, which began in 2008 and has generated more than 200 tremors. The most recent widely felt event was a 3.1-magnitude quake that struck near the border of Irving and Dallas on Aug. 25. READ MORE