Significant Quakes in KS & OK Shake Missouri’s Neighbors

Kansas and Oklahoma are known more for the fearsome tornadoes that sometimes cross their land, but today the news isn't about weather. Instead, it's significant earthquakes felt by many in both states which begs the question why Missouri's neighbors are shaking.

The latest information from the USGS earthquake page shows a mini-swarm of quakes that have rattled Kansas and especially Oklahoma. These tremors weren't tiny either. Two registered as large as 3.4 in magnitude today.

The largest quake in Kansas so far was a 3.4 magnitude shaker just northwest of Woodston, Kansas.

A 3.4 magnitude quake was also felt by many just to the southwest of Braman, Oklahoma.

What's causing the Oklahoma and Kansas earthquakes?

The Kansas Geological Survey says that the likely culprit in the uptick of quakes in both states is due to wastewater disposal which is different from fracking in the oil industry. The USGS is still investigating this phenomena to determine if this is human-caused induced seismicity or something else entirely. There is an earthquake fault in Kansas known as the Humboldt Fault. It is capable of significant earthquakes on its own with the largest recorded being a 5.5 quake near Manhattan, Kansas in 1867. It's unknown if this Kansas fault could be affected by the New Madrid Fault in Missouri if it were ever to unleash a major quake. For sure, this part of America bears watching when it comes to earth changes. The ground beneath your feet may not be as stable as you once thought in the middle of the plains.