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Geologist: Small Earthquakes Can Be A Good Thing

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Jun 3, 2009 5:21 pm US/Central

Geologist: Small Earthquakes Can Be A Good Thing

Compiled From Staff Reports
CLEBURNE, Texas (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― A 2.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Cleburne at 3:06 Tuesday afternoon. The quake was centered about one mile west of the city.

It's the fourth time in the last few weeks that a quake has struck North Texas.

Several people called and emailed the station and the local police department, reporting they had heard a loud boom and rumbling in the area.

The fire chief said firefighters drove all over town trying to find the damage. At first, they were under the impression they were dealing with an explosion.

TCU Geology professor John Breyer said while residents have a legitimate concern, there's no need to worry. "It's like some years it rains and some years it doesn't," he said.

Breyer said North Texas is west of the Balcones Fault Line, which has other fault lines that come off of it. He said those cause small quakes all the time, which can be a good thing.

"When there's lots of small earthquakes, that means you usually won't have a big one because you release a lot of the energy in the small quakes," he said.

But not everyone agrees. UT Geophysicist Dr. Cliff Frohlich said when drilling for gas, workers drill deep into the ground and pump in fluid to push gas out. But Breyer said the quakes are around three miles into the ground and companies like Chesapeake are only drilling a few thousand feet into the Barnett Shale.

No damage or injuries were reported Tuesday.

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