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Researcher explains why earthquakes are rattling parts of New Mexico
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – While you may think earthquakes are a rarity in New Mexico, think again. Dr. Urbi Basu, manager of the New Mexico Tech Seismological Observatory, said earthquakes regularly happen in the state.
'We regularly see earthquakes of magnitude ones or twos, so people don't feel it,' Basu explained.
Basu said there are dozens and dozens of fault lines in the state. In fact, the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources said that there are more than 160 quaternary faults — or faults that have been seen on the surface of the Earth — within the past 1.6 million years.
Among the most prominent is the Rio Grande rift, which runs from central Colorado down to Chihuahua, Mexico. 'So, the Rio Grande rift, which is like a north-south trending rift along which is the Rio Grande Valley. So, that's a series of what we call normal faults, which is slowly extending in the east-west direction. So, we know a lot about these existing faults through several years of geologic mapping through the bureau,' Basu said.
The rift follows the river, which played an important role in the development of the state. But according to Dr. Basu and research being conducted at New Mexico Tech, we're now seeing an increase in the amount of seismic activity.
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'In the last four or five years, we have seen a rise in induced seismicity, which is earthquakes caused by human activity,' Basu explained.
According to data from the seismology observatory, there have been more than 80 earthquakes measuring above 2.0 on the Richter scale between January 1 and May 31 of 2025 alone.
Multiple academic studies have shown a direct link between hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and an increase in earthquakes. Additionally, data from the U.S. Geological Survey found an increase in the number of quakes within a 100-mile radius of fracking sites throughout the southern half of the United States.
'That technique creates a lot of wastewater or salt water, which is reinjected back into the formations, shallow formations. And this injecting of water causes stress changes in existing faults. And that is kind of the main reasons of oil… and earthquakes,' Basu said.
It's no surprise, then, that the southeastern part of the state is seeing far more seismic activity than other parts. However, considering the economic impact the oil and gas industry has on the state, it's unlikely the practice will stop any time soon. That's where active monitoring comes into play.
'They use our earthquake data and they create something called like the seismicity response areas, SRAs. So, if there is an earthquake 2.5 or higher, there are restrictions about how much disposal volumes can occur. Companies might have to lower their disposal volumes, stop injecting for a few days, or have to decide if they can inject there as well. So, our data is really important to help the state in creating all those regulations,' said Basu.
The observatory currently has 16 monitoring stations throughout the state, with 11 located in the southeast. They plan to upgrade those stations in the near future, as well as add 15 additional monitoring stations statewide.
'Without having the stations, we would not know of a magnitude three earthquake in the Socorro area or the Albuquerque area. So we would not understand the hazard risk,' Basu explained.
Dr. Basu said the USGS website features a 'Did You Feel It?' page where citizens can report incidents themselves, which will help scientists understand the effects of seismic activity on the community.
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