UC Irvine

In the last decade, the state of Oklahoma has quietly gone from a low natural seismic hazard area into one of the most seismic areas in the United States and the rest of the world. Seismologists have now reached a consensus that deep wastewater injection are the cause of Oklahoma's frequent, low- to moderate-magnitude seismicity. The M5.0 Cushing, OK, and M5.8 Pawnee events served to demonstrate the potential of injection-induced earthquakes.The purpose of this dissertation was to use three separate research designs to investigate the current circumstances and perspectives of community members in and around the cities of Cushing and Pawnee. In the first study, we used a qualitative interview design supplemented by survey data to evaluate, detail, and discuss the earthquake preparedness of the community members, reflecting on possible solutions to the challenges they face. In the second study, we used an emic, in situ qualitative interview approach to generate detailed descriptions of the implications of induced earthquakes (IE) according to the experiences of the community members. In the third study, we used a qualitative interview design, also supplemented by survey data, to identify, contextualize, and discuss community members' perspectives and opinions regarding the oil and gas industry and state government representatives. The findings indicate an overall lack of earthquake preparedness and dissatisfaction with state government officials. Qualitative data analysis resulted in several themes and subthemes highlighting the complexity of induced earthquake outcomes: (a) IEs have a distinct sound and are incessant; (b) IEs cause repeated damages; (c) IEs result in multiple financial consequences; (d) residents face insurance challenges; (e) existing government and institutional support does not meet residents’ needs; (f) community members desire greater involvement in decisions that affect their lives; (g) new fracking techniques and state legislation impact the rights and earnings of lessors; (h) possible wastewater spills result in environmental concerns; (i) residents feel a generalized neglect for rural areas in the U.S.; (j) simultaneous earthquake preparedness and extreme weather preparations is complex; and (k) there is a lack of understanding of earthquake response. This study gave the opportunity for the voices of those impacted to be heard, which revealed several complex and unique issues for hazard experts to consider. The findings provide a foundation for assessing and customizing current interventions to improve earthquake mitigation outcomes for people living in areas of low natural seismic hazard and impacted by induced earthquakes.