--- title: Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking description: Two facking wells close to fault lines induced a series of minor earthquakes in Ohio, according to a new study. canonical: https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/ author: Noah Rayman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-08T16:54:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T03:24:21.599Z article:section: Science og:title: Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking og:description: Fracking wells near fault lines induced the quakes, study says. og:url: https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb1a44ad667bb0e7/698778c4f887dc9adee8965c/ohio-oil-fracking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Ohio Oil Fracking og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking twitter:description: Fracking wells near fault lines induced the quakes, study says. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb1a44ad667bb0e7/698778c4f887dc9adee8965c/ohio-oil-fracking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jan 8, 2015 4:54 PM UTC  A rig hand works the controls while changing out a drill pipe at a Knox Energy Inc. oil drilling site in Knox County, Ohio, U.S., on Dec. 8, 2014. A rig hand works the controls while changing out a drill pipe at a Knox Energy Inc. oil drilling site in Knox County, Ohio, U.S., on Dec. 8, 2014. Ty Wright—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Noah Rayman](https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/)  ## Noah Rayman Jan 8, 2015 4:54 PM UTC Fracking wells close to fault lines [induced a series of earthquakes](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/us/new-research-links-scores-of-earthquakes-to-fracking-wells-near-a-fault-in-ohio.html?%5Fr=0) in Ohio, according to a new study that paints a clearer picture of the [link between the controversial drilling practice and earth tremors](http://time.com/84225/fracking-and-earthquake-link/). The study, [published this week](http://www.bssaonline.org/content/early/2015/01/01/0120140168.abstract) in The Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, found that fracking, formally known as hydraulic fracturing, may have built up subterranean pressure and caused slippage in an existing fault that contributed to dozens of mild earthquakes in Poland Township, Ohio, in March. Two of the earthquakes were large enough to be felt, though they did not do any damage. The study was reported by the New York _Times_. Wells further away from the fault line were not related to the tremors, according to the study. “It appears you have to be quite close to the fault for fracking operations to trigger earthquakes,” Michael R. Brudzinski, a seismologist at Miami University in Ohio and the co-author of the study, told the _Times_. “Having that sort of information helps us to see that this stuff is pretty rare.” The research adds to [growing concern ](http://time.com/21413/frack-rattle-and-roll-did-hydraulic-fracturing-play-a-role-in-ohio-quakes/)among geologists that fracking can cause or intensify earthquakes. In April, scientists said for the first time that the Ohio earthquakes were linked to the gas extraction process, prompting Ohio to issue strict permit conditions. A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources told the _Times_ that existing fracking wells were still in production but further fracking has been banned. New York State banned the drilling technique last week, citing concerns over water and air contamination. \[[_NYT_](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/us/new-research-links-scores-of-earthquakes-to-fracking-wells-near-a-fault-in-ohio.html?%5Fr=0)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/"},"headline":"Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking","datePublished":"2015-01-08T16:54:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:24:21.599Z","description":"Fracking wells near fault lines induced the quakes","url":"https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/","keywords":["Environment","energy","Ohio","earthquakes","fracking"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb1a44ad667bb0e7/698778c4f887dc9adee8965c/ohio-oil-fracking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Noah Rayman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/noah-rayman/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbb1a44ad667bb0e7/698778c4f887dc9adee8965c/ohio-oil-fracking.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ohio Oil Fracking","caption":"Ohio Oil Fracking","creditText":"Ty Wright—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3659649/fracking-earthquakes-ohio-study/","name":"Study Links Ohio Earthquakes to Fracking"}}]}] ```