BIO

My name is Olivia and I am a sophomore majoring in English Literature and International Affairs. I am from Tampa, FL and am hoping to go to law school upon graduation. Other than the UROP program, I am also involved in Dance Marathon at FSU as a member of the internal recruitment team and am currently interning with a personal injury and family law firm in the area. When I'm not studying or involved with extracurriculars, I enjoy watching football with friends, going to the beach, and attending music festivals and concerts.

Impacts of Human-Induced Seismic Activity on Residential Populations in Pawnee, OK

Abstract

Since 2009, the small, residential town of Pawnee, Oklahoma has experienced frequent and significant human-induced earthquakes resulting from the routine underground disposal of fracking wastewater. The strongest earthquake in Oklahoma history hit Pawnee in September 2016, and the area continues to experience frequent seismic activity. The situation in Pawnee raises considerable political and environmental questions about the continuing ramifications of the quakes. However, the personal stories of those directly affected by the quakes are typically underreported. To understand the personal impacts of these earthquakes, this project used comprehensive surveys meant to prompt emotional and descriptive recollections of these events from residents with first-hand knowledge of the quakes. A wide range of opinions were collected from a population with differing ages and demographic backgrounds. While many reported instances of damage to personal property and impacts on their emotional well-being, others stated there were no issues in their community stemming from the quakes. While some trends in the responses may be highlighted, overall, the qualitative collection of these stories have proven invaluable since they provide insight into the personal lives of these residents and how the earthquakes have affected their daily experiences. The detailed accounts will assist in the construction of realistic characters in a fiction novel placed in Pawnee, Oklahoma which discusses the earthquakes and their various impacts on the residents. This research is ongoing and further survey respondents are being collected to build upon this analysis.

Keywords: earthquakes, Oklahoma, Pawnee