Texas has experienced four earthquakes since 2:30am ET.
The seismic activity hit in the western part of the state, with the latest at 7:58am ET.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) shows the quakes range from 2.6 magnitude to 2.8 magnitude.
The agency detected three near Toyah and one south of Van Horn.
Seismic activity above 2.5 in magnitude can often be felt and cause minor damage.
However, no damages or injuries have been reported following Friday’s earthquakes.
While West Texas has several fault lines, the earthquakes were likely caused by induced seismicity—earthquakes triggered by human activities, particularly oil and gas operations.
Those operations cause quakes mainly through wastewater injection, which increases underground pressure and lubricates faults, making them more likely to slip.
This is a developing story… more updates to come.
Texas has experienced four earthquakes since 2:30am ET. The seismic activity hit in the western part of the state, with the latest detected at 7:58am ET
Texas contributes 42 percent of the nation’s crude oil, making it the largest producer in the US.
The state is also known for its extensive use of fracking, or the process of extracting oil and gas from deep underground by blasting large quantities of water, chemicals, and sand into rock formations to crack them open and release the fuels trapped inside.
Fracking is not usually the direct cause of an earthquake, but the process of disposing wastewater produced through fracking that can trigger tremors.
The USGS detected a 2.9 magnitude earthquake at 2:33am ET, followed by a magnitude 2.6 just miles away.
The third, a 2.8 magnitude, hit south of Van Horn at 7:17 am ET and a 2.7 magnitude was detected closer to the initial two at 7:58am ET.
