Did You Know? One of Texas’ Strongest Earthquakes Recently Rocked the State

What if I were to tell you that an earthquake in west Texas last week was tied with the 6th strongest in state history? Would you believe me? Well, if you say you didn't feel a thing, then you're not alone, as this news came as a surprise to many.

What's With the Recent Massive Texas Earthquake?

Yes, as previously mentioned, there was an earthquake that clocked in at 5.0 on the Richter Scale just last week near El Paso.

In fact, the National Weather Service in El Paso took to X to ask locals if they also felt any shakiness.

It looks like the majority of Texans and New Mexicans that felt it were along the border near El Paso.

By the way, the NWS post labels the quake as a 4.9. This was changed later by the U.S. Geological Survey to a 5.0 after further research was conducted on the matter.

In fact, take a look at the feedback from those who say they were affected in some way or another by the quake, according to USGS:

Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or deaths.

My Fault or Your Fault?

As I stated earlier, this earthquake that happened last Friday was tied with the 6th strongest in Texas history, but this is just the latest in an upward trend of increased seismic activity in the state.

Publications like the Texas Tribune include opinions that the higher rate of earthquakes within the past few years can be attributed to the heightened used of hydraulic fracking--water pumped into the earth for fracturing purposes.

They say that when the water is pumped into the ground, the pressure from the fluid builds up within underground faults, manipulating reactions in the form of earthquakes.

So, what do you think? Is the reason that we are seeing an upward trend of earthquakes in Texas due to manmade drilling and fracking or is it all natural?