North Texas Plagued by Earthquakes—the New Normal?

"Fourteen tremors rolled through our normally earthquake-free communities this week, shaking foundations from the epicenter in Irving to Lewisville, McKinney and Rowlett," according to an editorial by The Dallas Morning News. "It is unnerving and follows years of mostly ignored complaints from Azle residents in Tarrant County that tremors from oil and gas activity in the Barnett Shale damaged their homes."

"Clearly, something is going on, and Gov. Greg Abbott owes it to residents to help determine whether these are purely natural phenomena or whether man-made factors are to blame. Oil and gas drilling is an important industry in Texas; however, if something related to those operations is affecting fault lines, we need to know."

The editorial includes more strong language about the need to research the phenomena and, potentially, hold the oil and gas industry accountable if it's causing the earthquakes.