One of the strongest earthquakes in Texas history struck Friday in a region of high oil and fracking activity in the western part of the state. No damage or injuries were reported.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4 and occurred at 17:35 local time. It was centered about 14 miles (22 kilometers) northwest of Midland, with a depth of about 5.6 miles (9 kilometers).
The USGS had previously reported a preliminary magnitude of 5.3. For its part, the National Weather Service’s Midland office tweeted that it “would be the fourth largest earthquake in the history of the state of Texas.”
Geophysicist Jana Pursley, of the USGS National Center for Seismic Information in Colorado, said according to initial reports received by the agency, the quake was felt by more than 1,500 people from Amarillo and Abilene, Texas to Carlsbad, New Mexico.
The quake was followed shortly after by a minor aftershock, and Pursley indicated that there may be more minor ones.
“I haven’t received any information about the damage, but it could break grout or driveways near the epicenter,” he added.
An earthquake of a similar magnitude struck West Texas last month. That Nov. 16 quake measured in at 5.3 and had an epicenter about 95 miles (153 kilometers) west of Midland.
