South Texas Earthquakes Rattle Residents as Far as Austin

Over the past week, residents in South Texas have been feeling the earth move beneath their feet as a series of South Texas earthquakes have struck the region. The tremors were even felt over 120 miles away in Austin and Round Rock.

Data from the U.S. Geological Survey shows there have been at least 17 small quakes near Falls City, located about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio. However, two of the most recent quakes early Saturday morning were the largest yet at 4.4 and 4.7 magnitudes on the Richter scale.

While earthquakes of this size typically don’t cause significant damage, the vibrations from these South Texas earthquakes still managed to travel all the way north. Around 12:32 a.m., Austin and Round Rock residents reported feeling shaking that the USGS confirmed originated from the South Texas earthquake epicenter.

People took to social media to see if others felt the rumble and discuss the unusual experience of an earthquake striking so far from the typical seismic zones in West and North Texas. “Did you guys just feel an earthquake? I swear I felt the house shake but everyone thinks I’m crazy,” one Austin resident tweeted.

Have We Hit Peak Quake Down South?

So what’s causing this spike in South Texas earthquakes? Experts say it’s likely related to wastewater disposal from oil and gas production in the region. A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin found a link between underground injection of wastewater and quakes in nearby West Texas areas that have experienced significant shale oil and gas development. While activity has been lower in South Texas compared to West Texas, it seems the wastewater is having an impact nonetheless. Only time will tell if this is a short-term series of tremors or the beginning of more frequent South Texas earthquakes induced by industry activity in the coming years.

In the meantime, residents in the Lone Star State may need to get used to feeling the occasional South Texas earthquake all the way in Central Texas if seismic activity continues rising near Falls City. Just don’t be too alarmed if the ground shakes – unless the rumbling is much stronger than what we’ve seen so far, the chances of damage from these distant South Texas earthquakes remains quite low.