US government scientists link shale gas boom to sharp rise in earthquakes

BusinessGreen: A sharp rise in the number of earthquakes in the US over the past few years is almost certainly caused by human activity and could be linked to a boom in shale gas drilling. That is the stark finding of a report by the US government's Geological Survey, due to be launched in full at a conference next week. The report, produced by a team led by scientist Bill Ellsworth, set out to discover what has caused a six-fold increase in earthquakes in the midcontinent. Average annual earthquakes rates...

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