Fracking

Apparently Oklahoma is the earthquake capitol of the contiguous USA, and this is due to fracking.

When I first read about fracking, it was obvious that introjecting large amounts of fluids into the earth would be a problem, because the fluids would tend to decrease friction between adjacent stone particles. First one disturbs the ground, then one reduces the friction, and that seemed a bad idea.


I did not take any particular braininess to see that.
The principle is that of shaving every morning: water makes the razor move across the beard easier.
Water, not soap. Water accounts for most of the ease of shaving, and soap accounts for no more than 10% of total friction reduction.

If the chemicals which are in the fracking fluids also reduce the surface tension of the water, then the water is made "wetter". This is what laundry detergents do: reduce the cohesion of water molecules, allowing them to infiltrate the pores and interstices of the fabrics in the washing machine.

You can even hear it. Start filling the washing machine and listen to the sound of the water falling into it. Add the detergent. You should immediately be able to detect  a reduction in the harshness of the noise of the water falling. The water's surface tension is reduced, and the infalling water easily pushes the water present in the washing machine aside.

If this particular problem of fracking was not contained in every environmental assessment of potential fracking sites, then the personnel involved were either incompetent or liars or both.

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