On 3 September 2016, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck just northwest of Pawnee, Oklahoma, causing moderate to severe damages in buildings near the epicentre. It was the largest ever recorded in the state.
The Pawnee earthquake followed the dramatic increase of seismic events in the central United States beginning in 2009, associated with the increase of underground wastewater disposal by oil and gas operators. This and other events in the area raised public concerns and led governmental agencies to shut down injection wells and establish new regulations regarding wastewater injections.
While human-caused earthquakes have been documented for more than a century, their increasing number reported worldwide has drawn much scientific, social and political attention. Such earthquakes are related to industrial activities such as mining, construction of water dams, injection of liquids such as waste water and carbon dioxide, and extractions associated with oil and gas exploitation.
With the ever-increasing demand for energy and mineral supplies worldwide, the number of human-caused earthquakes is expected to rise in the upcoming years. Some of the largest and more destructive earthquakes of the past few years have been related to man-made activities, such as the 2008 magnitude 7.9 Wenchuan (China) earthquake and the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Nepal earthquake.
In most of the cases industrial activities do not induce earthquakes. But this becomes problematic when such activities are close to active faults. In this case, even small stresses underground caused by man-made activities can destabilise faults, inducing earthquakes.
Identify the most suitable title for the passage.
Correct Answer :
Industrial Threats
Solution :
To identify the most suitable title for the passage, we need to analyze its central theme and main arguments:
1. The passage starts by discussing the 2016 Pawnee earthquake, linking it directly to "underground wastewater disposal by oil and gas operators."
2. It then broadens the scope to "human-caused earthquakes" associated with "industrial activities such as mining, construction of water dams, injection of liquids... and extractions associated with oil and gas exploitation."
3. The text emphasizes that while most industrial activities do not induce earthquakes, they become highly problematic when close to active faults, leading to destructive seismic events.
4. Thus, the passage focuses specifically on how industrial and man-made operations pose a threat by inducing earthquakes.
Let's evaluate the given options:
- "Seismic Depression": Inaccurate, as the text discusses seismic activity and earthquakes, not a "depression" or reduction in seismicity.
- "How Safe Are We on this Earth?": Too broad and existential, whereas the text focuses specifically on industrial causes of earthquakes.
- "Industrial Threats": Fits perfectly, as the entire passage discusses the hazards and destructive earthquakes triggered by various industrial activities (mining, drilling, waste injection, dam construction).
- "Man Vs Man": Incorrect, as the conflict discussed is human industrial activity destabilizing natural faults, not direct human-against-human conflict.
Therefore, the most suitable title for the passage is Industrial Threats.
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