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The study, published Tuesday in Seismological Research Letters, reports that fracking waste injection wells are now the leading cause of earthquakes in Texas. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves thrusting chemicals and water against shale rock to break it up and release oil or gas. The process produces large amounts of waste fluid, or brine, that is either recycled or disposed of in injection wells.
The researchers, working in marshes in Branford, said they inadvertently uncovered evidence of the fault's activity while studying long-term sea level trends. They believe the fault is responsible for a rhythmic pattern of widely spaced earthquakes in Connecticut over the past 1,200 years.