Residents in and around Coushatta have felt more than a few unsettling tremors lately, and the recent spike in earthquakes is drawing increasing attention from both the public and government agencies.
Those concerns were the focus of a community meeting held Friday night, where about 50 people gathered to hear from Dr. Cynthia Ebinger, a Tulane University professor and earthquake expert, about the recent seismic activity affecting the area. Ebinger was the featured speaker for the meeting, which centered on her knowledge, research, and professional insight into what may be causing the earthquakes near Coushatta and what residents should know moving forward.
According to information shared during the meeting, the U.S. Geological Survey has recorded 10 earthquakes in the past 30 days in the area. A survey connected to the recent activity reportedly had about 1,575 people complete it, showing how many residents have been paying attention to the shaking and looking for answers.
Ebinger says one possible factor may be underground wastewater and saltwater injection. During the meeting, she explained that disposing of large amounts of water deep underground can increase pressure below the surface. Over time, that pressure can affect older rock formations and weak points underground, causing them to shift and sometimes trigger earthquakes.
She said small tremors are not unusual, but what stands out now is that both the number of earthquakes and their magnitude are drastically increasing. “That change is one of the biggest concerns in the Coushatta area right now,” stressed Ebinger.
Part of the challenge in tracking the full scope of the activity is that seismic stations across Louisiana are spread so far apart that they do not always pick up the smaller earthquakes. Ebinger said that in October, more instruments were placed around the area to help gather better data and improve monitoring closer to where the shaking is happening.
The increased seismic activity has now drawn the attention of both state and federal officials. A 4.9 magnitude earthquake in the area prompted greater involvement from the U.S. Geological Survey, which is now working to better understand what is happening underground. Ebinger said she was surprised that a 4.9 earthquake happened in North Louisiana. She noted that a 4.9 is considered a moderate earthquake and said she believes it is probably the strongest earthquake the area will feel.
Officials also noted that any earthquake over 4.5 magnitude receives help or investigation from the federal government, which explains the increased federal response following the larger quake near Coushatta. In addition, a task force is now being created as officials continue responding to the recent activity and studying what steps may be needed moving forward.
To gather more information, new seismic equipment has been installed in the area to track earthquake activity in real time. The added monitoring is expected to help scientists map the faults involved, study the sequence of events, and answer questions many residents have raised, including whether groundwater could be affected, how many faults may be involved, and whether stronger earthquakes are possible in the future.
Ebinger also encouraged that the river levees be inspected, noting concern about the direction of the earthquake waves moving from Coushatta toward the Pleasant Hill and Pelican area.
Another concern raised during the meeting involved the many pipelines that run through the region. In response to a question from a concerned citizen, Shane Hubbard, director of Red River Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said that after a moderate earthquake, pipelines are inspected immediately before production continues.
Hubbard also added that additional earthquake information and preparedness resources can be found on the redriverready.com website.
With concern continuing to grow, local residents are paying close attention as experts and officials work to learn more about the unusual wave of seismic activity beneath North Louisiana.
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