4. Man-Made Earthquakes Are Changing the Seismic Landscape

In this article, Adrienne Lafrance alerts the readers about the alarming increase of the number of earthquakes in Oklahoma. She explains how recent fracking in the state is related to the rising numbers of seismic activity in the region and how scientists are trying to deal with it. She presents comparisons and data showing how much the number of earthquakes in the state rose throughout the years. Also, after interviewing several people involved in the studies, she explains how they are confused with the situation and still studying how everything is connected. They know that fracking is directly connected to the rising numbers, yet they are not sure how. The possibilities discussed are the chemicals being used, the location, the pressure, or even the depth at which the fracking is being done, however, they don't know which one it is.  The author also explains how one of the reasons scientists haven't found the cause of increasing earthquakes is because the companies doing it don't have the data of the activities. Since there is no federal law that requires the companies to record the data of their actions, the companies "make up their own laws and their own requirements for what kind of data is collected." This makes it difficult for the scientists to acquire and compare data to the events since there is barely any details available. She finalizes the article warning of the big earthquake that is yet to hit Oklahoma and leaving a link to a Facebook page for those interested in helping to stop fracking in the state.
Adrienne Lafrance does a great job explaining the current situation of earthquakes in Oklahoma. The first method she used to present her message was with an image of the seismic activity in the US from 2009-2012 with scattered dots representing earthquakes. This immediately makes her audience somewhat concerned with the large number of markings on the map. She then explains what is going on and quotes geophysicist Robert Williams, a specialist on the subject, multiple times. By doing this she is able to convince her audience of the data and situation the state is in since she gets information from someone with credibility. Also, later on in her article she verbally draws a timeline with the exact and concerning numbers of earthquakes since 1978. Not only are the numbers concerning, but by doing this she is able to alarm the audience and show how worrying the situation is. Lafrance doesn't add her opinion on the case at any moment, especially since this article is to inform. However, with the distressing language she used you can tell she is worried about the people living in the state, especially since a high magnitude earthquake is predicted to hit the region in the near future.