Is fracking the reason why Oklahoma now has more earthquakes a year than California?

JAMES NYE dailymail.co.uk Is fracking behind the exponential increase in earthquakes suffered across Oklahoma? That is the question the US Geological Survey wants to know the answer to because as of last month, Oklahoma surpassed California in the number of earthquakes experienced over the past five years. As of June 16, 2014, California - the home of the infamous San Andreas fault - registered 140 quakes of 3.0-magnitude or greater, which is in stark contrast to Oklahoma's 207. Indeed, while the cause of the radical increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma has not been definitively answered, experts do agree that they are now part of the fabric of life across the Great Plains, along with other natural phenomenon such as tornadoes. While the experts at the Oklahoma Geographic Survey and the USGS admit that the earthquakes in California are far stronger and deeper underground than those in Oklahoma, therein lies the finger of suspicion being pointed at fracking. The controversial method of gas and oil extraction is being monitored by the Oklahoma GS by a network of 15 permanent stations and 17 temporary stations. They are working to discover if fracking's high pressure water pumping 5,000 to 20,000 feet into the shallow earth's crust is to blame for the seismic instability. In short, fracking operates like this: A well is drilled and water, sand and chemicals is pumped at speed and pressure into the well to create cracks which allow the gas or oil to escape. The sand particles pumped in at high pressure keep these cracks open thereby ensuring a constant line of gas. However, the gas and the water is drawn back up to the surface and then the water is pumped back down in a circular process. USGS geophysicist Rob Williams told CNN that this process could be the cause of the increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma. 'Given the rate of earthquakes over the last six months,' Williams said, 'it's concerning enough to be worried about a larger, damaging earthquake happening.'