A magnitude 3.3 earthquake occurred around 12:50 a.m. in Smiley, a community of about 700 residents in Gonzales County. No damage was reported.
Smiley is located approximately 160 miles west of Houston.
The Texas Tribune reports that West Texas has seen a dramatic increase in earthquakes, from 19 in 2009 to 1,600 in 2017 alone, according to a study published by the University of Texas at Austin.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, tracked seismic activity for nearly 20 years. The scientists have documented more than 7,000 earthquakes near Pecos as of 2009, most of which were so small that no one could feel them. The scientists used an earthquake monitoring system that was located “some distance” from Pecos, but was sensitive enough to pick up vibrations 150 miles away.
“West Texas now has the highest seismicity rates in the state,” said study co-author and Southern Methodist University professor Heather DeShon in a written statement. “What remained uncertain is when the earthquakes actually started. This study examines that.”
Although earthquakes coincided with a large increase in oil and gas production in West Texas, the study does not attempt to link the two.
The research lays the groundwork for understanding “the relationship between earthquakes and their human and natural causes,” said Peter Hennings, the study’s co-author and researcher at the UT Bureau of Economic Geology, in a written statement.
According to a 2018 joint study by The Texas Tribune and Center for Public Integrity, West Texas has seen oil and gas production soar at unprecedented rates, exacerbating air pollution and affecting housing.
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