Fracking caused Ohio earthquake in 2014, say researchers

Controversial gas exploration technique linked to 3.0 magnitude earthquake that shook US state in March

Fracking was responsible for an earthquake felt by Ohio residents in March 2014, a study has found.

Hydaulic fracturing near the Poland Township activated a previously unknown fault in the earth, say scientists, who identified 77 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 between March 4 and 12.

The strongest earthquake was unusual because it could be felt by people living in the area, revealed the research, published online in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

“These earthquakes near Poland Township occurred in the Precambrian basement, a very old layer of rock where there are likely to be many pre-existing faults,” said Robert Skoumal, co-author of the study.